Ruby Red
by JKimball
Summary: Set after the end of the original series. Kagome's 'happily ever after' isn't going the way it was supposed to. Now she has to find a new ending to her story, hopefully one that will finally take her home...wherever that may be. A new journey will help her to find who she is, what she wants, and where she belongs.
1. Chapter 1

**TITLE:** Ruby Red

* * *

**SUMMARY**: At 15 years old, she fell through the well and shattered the jewel. She awakened a beast hell-bent on world dominance. At 16, she defeated that evil with the help of her friends and was sent back to the time she was born to. At 19, she took a chance and opened her soul to return to the time that called to her the most.

Her new beginning came with a brash half-demon lover, a young fox-kit son, a demon slayer and her monk husband, and a small town that she knew to be the beginning makings of one of the largest super-cities in the 20th century world. But things are not always what they seem, and her "happily ever after" seems farther away than it should.

DISCLAIMER: I own none of the original characters or ideas. This is merely my story of what happened after the manga and anime series "Inuyasha" as created by Takahashi Rumiko and associates. I receive absolutely zero compensation either monetary or otherwise for this work.

* * *

**NOTE**:

_ *** _ denotes pov change

**CHAPTER 1**

Morning in Edo was always the same. Before dawn came, men could be heard out in the fields collecting the cotton and rice. Women began their chores around dawn and could be heard tending and caring for their homes in ways Kagome never realized were necessary. Those without children could be found in the fields shucking, shuffling, and planting alongside the men. It was tedious and menial work, but the residents of Edo knew what hard work was and that with it they would be prosperous in the long run.

For her part, Kagome could always be found in the herb gardens on the north side of town in the predawn hours of the day. She had found that many of the herbs she needed on a daily basis were much more potent when plucked at the peak of their own morning rituals. At first she would carry a few in a satchel every morning to Kaede's hut and help her to set them to dry before assisting her with preparing those already dried for their poultices and elixirs. After a while, Kagome found that a large woven basket worked much better and saved her a lot of time since the amount of foliage she would carry was much larger than any small satchel could carry.

It had taken several days to make, but Kagome was quite proud of the basket she had woven for her use. She had learned that it was best to create your own tools and supplies rather than purchase those already made. This served several purposes in her station. First and foremost was the gratification that came with knowing that she was capable and able to provide for her own wellbeing. Second was the respect that was afforded to those that did for themselves instead of relying on others. In this day and age, those who lived off of the fruits of another's labor did not last long because at one point or another in every beings life, they had to rely on only themselves to survive. And survive she did.

Sure she had Inuyasha around to assist her with the more burdensome things such as heavy lifting and the occasional battle or two, but even in those situations she did what she could to pull her own weight. Since her return to Feudal Era Edo just over a year ago, Kagome learned to meld easily into the life of a town person. She found a niche for herself as an understudy to Kaede's potions and she found that she had a knack for growing the greenery needed in such things.

Her life, compared to the one she'd had in modern day Tokyo and as the Priestess of the Jewel, had become somewhat mundane. She would admit that boredom came in swiftly and often, but as long as she had Inuyasha to drag her off to one mini adventure or another every now and again, then she could live with the near-brutality of idle hands.

Another bit of excitement in her life was the ever changing children that had become a part of her family. Shippou saw her much like a mother and treated her the way a son should. He was growing rapidly in his skills since his schooling began last year with the Fox Clan School in the mountains. She missed him very much, but he visited as often as he could and always had a new trick or two to show her.

The other child in her life was less of a child and more a teen than anything, but it was welcome all the same. Rin had been left in Kaede's care after the demise of Naraku four years ago. Kagome had been pleasantly surprised to find that the girl was flourishing under the old woman's care. She was even happier to note that her aristocratic guardian had not become completely estranged from her life. Sesshoumaru was often spotted at the edge of town after bringing one gift or another to his ward. His gifts were sometimes lavish, but always practical.

Once in a while Kagome would catch him walking leisurely through the town. He always appeared to be doing nothing more than passing through, but her critical eyes had noted the way his demeanor changed when he did this. He was always checking every scent, every sight, every square inch of the growing town. She was certain that this was his way of ensuring his ward's safety.

What was surprising was what he would do when he found something that he didn't approve of. Instead of killing or at least maiming the person responsible for the infraction, he would calmly take his brother outside of town and have a short discussion with him about what he felt needed to be changed. There were only a handful of times that Kagome could remember this ever happening and not once did Inuyasha disobey the alpha male. Come Sesshoumaru's next visit, the infraction was corrected.

One could never tell when the Demon Lord's next visit would be, but his visits seemed less of an event and more of a part of life within the town as of late. Speaking of which, Kagome could feel the tell-tale aura of the person of her thoughts approaching her on the path she was walking. She found that odd since she was headed into town with her first batch of herbs for the day. It was strange that he was here at this time of day since Rin would still be fast asleep, but even stranger that he was headed in her direction rather than towards the town.

Kagome stopped and watched as Sesshoumaru closed the short distance between them. She was a little surprised to realize that he had in fact been seeking her out. He had done that before, but those times were few and far between. Still, not one to be rude, Kagome bowed slightly at the waist, unable to properly bow with the contents she was carrying.

"Morning Sesshoumaru, what can I do for you?"

She watched as his normally dispassionate façade crinkled slightly with his glare. He was likely upset that she hadn't addressed him more formally. She didn't really care for the titles he imposed on everyone and didn't feel like giving him the satisfaction of having any power over her. She supposed she should, but then figured that there was still just a little of her teen rebellion lingering around and so she let it go. Besides, he knew her well enough to know better than to expect anything else from her.

"My ward will be of age this spring and will need a female companion to assist her"

Kagome thought about what exactly he meant. Rin was going to be 14 in just over a month and though she hadn't shown much interest in the subject, Kagome knew that she would soon be interested in finding a husband. That was one of those things that Kagome was still not comfortable with. She was 20 years old and barely felt old enough to consider the notion for herself. But here in this era, a younger woman was much more sought after. Unfortunately for Rin, she had hit puberty early and so was looked at as a woman much sooner than most.

Kagome considered what Sesshoumaru was trying to tell her. It was clear that he wanted her to assist Rin with this task, but she wasn't so certain that she was the right person for the job.

"Are you sure that I'm the best person to be doing that?"

"You are of age, are you not?"

Kagome sighed.

"Yes, but I've only just begun to understand all of this myself. You forget that I was not born to these customs. Where I come from, I am only barely of age and I am 20. I am sure that there is someone else much more qualified than me to show her the ropes."

She watched as Sesshoumaru considered her counter. One thing that she did afford him in respect was patience. She had learned long ago that he was a stickler for such things and it was something that she found she respected about him. He wasn't as brash or hot-headed as his younger sibling and while she had been witness to some of his less than perfect choices, she knew that he had made those choices with careful consideration.

"Perhaps you could assist in locating such a female"

Kagome nodded her head in agreement almost instantly; the fact that he had sought her for this in the first place spoke volumes of the trust he gave to her. She had no qualms with helping him or Rin; she just knew that she wasn't the right girl for the job that he needed to have done.

"I think I know someone that would be good for her, but I'll need to see if she's willing to come here right now"

"Compensation will not be an issue"

Kagome giggled, knowing that this was how he saw the world. To him it was business even though this was about the little human girl that he cared about.

"I assure you that won't be necessary. The only reason she wouldn't come right away is if she were too busy with her responsibilities. I'm sure that won't be an issue though; I've got someone that can help out while she's away from home"

"Very well, I leave the matter to you then. I will grant you several days to fetch the female. She will need to remain here to assist Rin until it is no longer needed. As such, her days here cannot be measured"

"Thank you. I'll need to finish my chores for the morning. I'll set out at midday."

Kagome watched silently as he nodded and left. He was always such a quiet being with more on his mind than she could honestly imagine. With a shake of her head, she continued on her path to her morning chores. Thankfully there wasn't much to do today so leaving wouldn't be an immediate burden on Kaede, but the trip would take a couple of days so that might be a bit hard on the old woman. Still, Kagome knew better than to say no to Sesshoumaru, at least outright anyway. It dawned on her that she had never actually said no to him before. She wondered what that would be like and if she would even survive such an ordeal.

* * *

"KAGOME!"

Said girl smiled and ran up the slanted pathway that led to the village at the top of the hill. Her best friend and sister had returned here with her husband and children only a few months ago to rebuild what they had lost. It would take time, but both of them were willing to do whatever it took to rebuild this small town so that they could settle down and raise their growing family together.

"Sango, you look so good!"

Kagome hugged her and stepped back to get a good look at the girl that taught her so much. She envied her quite a bit at that moment. After four children, two of them twins to boot, she still had the fierce body she'd had when they first met five years ago.

"Sweet gods woman… how do you stay so fit?"

"Just a little sexercise every now and again"

Kagome giggled and spotted the two hands that had snaked their way around his friend's midsection.

"Hello Miroku, how's fatherhood treating you?"

She eyed the man behind the woman and smiled at his lecherous grin. Such a pervert!

"Miroku, don't say such things!"

Miroku released Sango and rubbed his hands together to relieve them of the sting from his wife's smack.

"What?! It's only Kagome!"

"That's right; it's Kagome…our SISTER! She doesn't need to hear about such things! Dirty man…"

Kagome laughed at the two and walked through the main gates of their little village. There were several people milling about that Kagome didn't recognize. She smiled at one of the men when he eyed her longer than usual. His blush was adorable.

Sango gave her husband a shove and followed after Kagome. The nerve of that guy! She had been married for a few years now, but she still was not comfortable with talking about such private things in front of other people. She was sure that she was never going to be comfortable with that.

She walked up to Kagome and linked arms with her but before she got there she had noticed Joshu, the new smithy in town, eyeing up Kagome. She also noticed that Kagome had smiled at him and made him blush. Sango wondered what was going on that would make Kagome think that it was okay to look at another male like that. If Inuyasha had seen that, he would have given the poor kid a sorry makeover.

"Kagome?"

"Hmm?"

Sango looked hard at her, searching her eyes for an answer to a question she couldn't quite verbalize. It was difficult to tell what Kagome was thinking because her eyes were so guarded. That in its self said quite a lot to Sango though. This was the girl that wore her heart on her sleeve and now she was guarding her feelings? What was going on?

"Never mind, let's go inside and we can catch up"

She pulled her friend into the house she and Miroku had built. It wasn't quite finished yet, but the living area was done and they were making do with the space that they had until they could finish the other rooms.

Sango pushed Kagome onto the mats and told her to sit. She wouldn't have her friend come to her home and do any work; she was now a guest.

"Blackberry or mint tea?"

"Blackberry please; I haven't had a good flavored tea in ages!"

Sango pulled her pot of water to boil over the fireplace and grabbed a couple of cups. After she filled them with the blackberry concoction and now steaming water, she handed Kagome a cup and sat across from her.

She let her friend relax and sip on her tea for a while. Kagome had just made a long journey and was sure to be tired so she waited until she saw her shoulders droop in a more relaxed pose before she decided it was time for them to talk.

"Alright, spill. I know you want to rest but you aren't going anywhere until I know everything. And I mean…everything!"

Kagome choked a little on her tea when she heard the determination in Sango's voice. She must have been more tired than she thought if she had let on that there were any problems in her life at all.

"I came here because I need your help with Rin."

"Rin? Is she okay?"

"Oh yeah, she's fine. Actually, Sesshoumaru sent me here. Well not here, but here."

She was rambling and tried to cover it up by taking another sip of her tea, but it was useless. She knew that Sango could tell something was off with her. That alone put her on edge.

"Wait a minute. Sesshoumaru sent you here…but not here…to ask me to help you with something for Rin, but she's okay…? I'm confused"

Kagome laughed and took a deep breath.

"Sesshoumaru asked me to help Rin with something and I'm not really the best person for it, so I asked if I could get someone else to help and he agreed. You were the best person I could think of, so I came here."

"Oookay. So Sesshoumaru wants something done and you think I'm better for the job than you are. What exactly is this job?"

"Preparing for courting…"

"Preparing for… wait a minute. Kagome, you do realize that my extent of courting with Miroku involved slaying evil, running around the countryside, and slapping him when his hands went straying…right?"

Kagome sighed and put her tea down. She knew that this wasn't going to be the easiest request she made, all things considered, but of the two of them Sango really was the best choice.

"Yes, I know. But that's the reason you're perfect for the job. Don't you see? Sesshoumaru wouldn't accept a girl that is shy and demure or too loud and outspoken. He would want a woman that is strong, quiet but not silent, opinionated but respectful, aware of her surroundings, passionate, loving but not publicly… what?"

Kagome had watched Sango's eyes go from pensive to thoughtful to disbelieving. Now she was looking at her like she had grown a second head.

"We are talking about what he wants Rin to be like… not what Sesshoumaru wants for himself, right?"

Kagome thought about that for a minute and realized that she had described exactly what she thought Sesshoumaru would want in his own mate. But that was really the same thing in a strange and twisted sort of way.

"Every father wants their daughter to be a glowing image of the woman he fell in love with. Granted Lord High and Mighty hasn't fallen in love with anyone, and probably never will, but it would make sense that he would want Rin to have all of those qualities. For the most part, she already does. He just wants someone to show her how to act properly in certain situations and how to carry herself. It's something he can't teach her and she hasn't had any strong female influences in her life that she could imitate"

"She has you"

Kagome laughed at that.

"Exactly! I get under his skin more than anyone else I know. Even Inuyasha doesn't bug him as much as I do anymore. They're getting along pretty well now"

"I suppose I could help, but Kagome I have a lot of responsibility here. Who would watch the children or help Miroku when some low life decides they want to try and take out our village again? I can't just leave him to do it on his own"

"Inuyasha said that he would come up here if you went down there, so that takes care of most of that. I saw some new villagers here too. Is there someone here that could help with the children? I'm sure it won't be for long. Rin is a brilliant girl and she'll catch on quick to anything you teach her"

Sango thought about that for a moment and nodded her head.

"The new Smithy's mother lives here and she's sort of like a grandmother to everyone in town. I'm sure we can make a trade of some sort. Speaking of which, what were you doing leading the smithy on like that earlier?"

"What?!"

Kagome reeled back and thought about what Sango had said. When had she led anyone on?

"Kagome, you smiled at him! You can't do that! You're betrothed to Inuyasha. What's taking you two so long anyway?"

Wow, Sango had never been so forward with her before.

"I didn't know that smiling was such a bad thing. Honest! And what do you mean we're taking a long time?"

"Kagome please, I'll buy that you don't understand the subtleties of a smile, but you can't pretend that you don't know that you and Inuyasha are long overdue for a mating ceremony!"

Kagome dropped her eyes to her lap and thought about the best way to answer that one. She knew Sango was right, but that wasn't something that she was willing to talk about. Not yet anyway.

"It's just not the right time Sango. That's all."

She looked up and noticed that Sango was about to retort and decided that she didn't want an argument, not about this at least.

"I'm really tired. Would you mind if I took a short nap?"

Sango looked about to say something until resignation set in and she let out a low sigh.

"Yeah, come on. You can sleep in our room for now"

"Eww, I don't want to sleep on the futon that you guys do…you know…that…in!"

Sango laughed and waved her off.

"We have an extra futon in there for when the kids have night terrors. Don't worry; I wouldn't do that to you"

* * *

Sango waved to her husband and children as she and Kagome flew off on the back of Kirara. They had thought to walk at first, but both decided that the sooner they could get back, the sooner Inuyasha could leave to help Miroku. She hated to leave her family behind when they were still so new, their bonds still being woven together. But she knew that her friends needed her and she would never abandon them.

"Hey Kagome, do you think Sesshoumaru will be there a lot? I don't think I'd like the idea of HIM watching over my shoulder the whole time"

She smiled at the laugh she heard in response behind her. Apparently Kagome knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Oh he'll be there every now and again, but not every day. He doesn't really mention when he'll be there. He just sort of shows up…you'd best be ready for that at any moment."

Sango nodded, determined to do a good job. Rin was a very pretty girl and very obedient from what she remembered of her; she was sure to make a great wife for some lucky man. Sango just hoped that she didn't mess up her ideals in any way. She rather liked breathing and was certain that Sesshoumaru would relieve her of that exercise if she were to mess up.

Sango sat in silent contemplation for several hours as they made their way to the town of Edo. When they crested the last hill and the town finally came into view, she couldn't help the gasp that escaped her at what she saw.

"I know…it's gotten so big already. Soon we'll need to start building huts further out and around the fields just to accommodate all the people that keep coming. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if we turned people away and didn't let it get any bigger."

Sango pat the hand that Kagome had rested on her stomach. She knew that the growing town was overwhelming to her more than any other resident here because Kagome knew exactly what would become of this place. She couldn't imagine what it must have been like to have lived the life that Kagome had. She was a pillar of strength for Sango and she hoped that she never changed that.

When they landed, she waited for Kagome to dismount before climbing down and grabbing their bags from Kirara's back. Once that was done, Sango opened her arms and let the smaller version of her loyal friend rest in her arms. She had worked hard and done a good job getting them to Edo. She deserved the rest.

Sango followed behind Kagome and was slightly surprised when they turned into the town instead of going straight to Kaede's hut. She was even more surprised when Kagome entered a hut on the far side of the town and put her things down inside the door.

"I didn't know you had your own place"

"I don't. It's Inuyasha's"

Sango's brows furrowed as she thought over that statement.

"You mean it's yours and Inuyasha's place"

She saw Kagome shake her head, but she still hadn't turned to look at her.

"No, just Inuyasha's. He said we could stay here while he was out helping Miroku"

At that moment, said half-demon decided to make an appearance.

"Hey Sango, good to see you."

Sango smiled at him and waved.

"This is a nice place you have here. Did you and Kagome build it?"

"Nah, just me and a couple of the villagers. Had to have somewhere to go besides Kaede's. Old lady was starting to get a little cramped with Rin staying there now."

Sango nodded in understanding.

"So I'm headed out then. I'll back in a couple days to see how it's going. Good luck Sango. "

With that Inuyasha was gone. Sango found it odd that he hadn't said two words to Kagome; hell he didn't even look at her once.

She watched in confusion as Kagome disappeared around the back of a wall. It just didn't make any sense. Before she and Miroku had left, Kagome and Inuyasha were inseparable; they finally had their happy ending with no strings attached. They were happy.

What had changed?

Kagome leaned against the wall and calmed her breathing and heart rate. She knew that Sango would catch on soon enough and would begin to question a few things in her life. She just hadn't expected it to happen so soon. The look on Sango's face when she noticed the interactions between her and Inuyasha, or lack thereof in this case was enough to tell her that Sango wanted answers.

It's not like there was a lot to tell though. In all reality, there wasn't really anything wrong. She and Inuyasha had just been going through a rough patch. It was nothing serious and in hind sight she probably should have just said that this was her place too. She did stay there sometimes. It would certainly have made explanations that much easier.

Deciding it was best to just get this over with and out of the way now, Kagome stood and walked back out into the main living area.

"This is technically my place too. I just stay and Kaede's so often that it feels like I don't live here."

"But why? I mean, if this is your place too, then why don't you stay here?"

Kagome frowned at her friend. She could tell her that it was because she and Inuyasha were not getting along right now. She could even tell her that she hadn't seen him in the last month except for the five minutes it took to ask him to fill in for Sango and again just moments ago. She could tell her that Inuyasha didn't even need to think about it and said that he would go in a way that made it sound like he didn't want to stay. Or…

"I work late sometimes and the houses are so far apart that it's just best to sleep at Kaede's most nights"

It sucked that she was getting so good at lying.

It was true, of course. It just wasn't all of the truth. On the nights that she stayed at Kaede's, Kagome just found it easier to give herself the excuse of being tired so that she wouldn't have to deal with another late night argument from Inuyasha and the knowing looks from the villagers in the morning.

"We should go see Rin and at least get the socializing out of the way"

She led Sango out of the hut and into the busy streets of Edo. The road beneath their feet was muddy and torn, the rains from the past few weeks making it difficult to walk steady on the red road. They cut through town and down the main staircase at the shrine and over to Kaede's hut.

Not long ago, Kagome had realized that the staircase to the shrine was the very same one that she had trekked up and down as a small child in modern day Tokyo. Once she had realized this, those stairs became her safe-haven so to speak. It was where she felt the closest to her mother and the life she left behind.

They made their way to the hut and opened the bamboo flap only to be greeted by the one person that made Sango's stomach drop out from underneath her feet.

Kagome squinted and walked into the hut with a nod.

"Hello Sesshoumaru"

"Kagome"

She turned to him and wondered what he wanted to say. He never said her name unless he wanted her attention.

"You brought the Slayer"

Kagome looked from Sango to Sesshoumaru and wondered if she had messed up somehow. Did he have a problem with Sango?

She watched him walk out of the hut and wondered again if he disagreed with her choice, only this time she was pretty sure that he wasn't happy. She looked to Sango and shrugged.

"Come"

Kagome jumped and trotted out the door after Sesshoumaru. She was glad to note that Sango had stayed back to catch up with Kaede. In her shoes, Kagome was sure that she would have done the same thing.

They walked for a few minutes before he turned and stared down at her. She couldn't help but feel small in that moment and it irritated her to no end.

"Did I do something wrong?"

She scowled at his smirk and wished not for the first time that she had the ability to take him on and live to tell the tale. He could really irritate her sometimes.

"Why her?"

"Well, because Sango is better for this than I am. She's well aware of the protocols of this era, and she knows how a proper lady should behave"

"She does not behave as such"

Kagome sighed and realized that she would have to explain everything to him this time. How annoying.

"Maybe not, but your other option is me. Let's think about that for a minute. I piss you off all the time and that's just because I'm me. Could you imagine what would happen if I tried to teach Rin about the things that you want? Come on. I'm a walking klutz, I talk back, I don't bow to men in any way, and I have a lot of ideas that are way more forward for a female in this age than you would like"

"You forgot your attire"

"My wha-"

Kagome looked down at herself and frowned. She was fully dressed, head to toe. Granted she was wearing a pair of low riding jeans and a pleated sweater, but still she was covered.

"As exciting as males may find your attire, it is inappropriate for a lady"

"I don't know what you guys have against this style of clothing. I find it comfortable. Besides, not as many men are as excited by this outfit as you seem to think"

She watched as he moved closer to her, coming nose to nose and staring straight into her eyes. Her nerves kicked in and she suddenly felt very self-conscious.

"ALL males find such attire enticing."

Kagome took a step back and a deep breath to steady her suddenly uneven and too-fast heartbeat. She hadn't had a male that close to her in a long time. She dropped her eyes and toed the ground in front of her.

"I'll be sure to wear something different when I'm with Rin. As for Sango, she may not act like a lady, but she knows what one should act like and she is a good teacher. Rin will be in good hands"

She didn't look at him when she spoke…she couldn't. The things he'd said, and more importantly what he didn't say, were really beginning to bother her. She was once again reminded that she was out of place here, out of her element, and sorely stood out.

With a sigh, Kagome turned to leave but stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"You do not need to change who you are just for Rin. Just remember not to gift her with any of your odd clothing."

Kagome laughed mirthlessly and shook his hand off of her shoulder.

"No worries Sesshoumaru. I won't influence her to be like me"

With that, Kagome walked back to Kaede's hut and put on the smile that everyone expected to see. After setting her friend's worries to ease, Kagome excused herself and went back to Inuyasha's house. She didn't really want to be there, but being with Rin and Sango had suddenly felt like it was too much, like she was suffocating.

When she reached Inuyasha's house though, all she could see was what he had, what he meant to this place, where he belonged, and where she felt most out of place. She couldn't understand why she felt that way…she just did.

Instead of dwelling on that, she decided to go for a run. She usually ran whenever she was upset because it helped her to keep her emotions in check. There were plenty of days that she could remember when she and Inuyasha would get into a spat over something stupid and she would just… run. It always made her feel better.

* * *

Kagome watched the sun drop in the distance. Her feet pounded the turf beneath her and her chest tightened with the shorter amount of oxygen that her lungs were getting. She closed her eyes and pushed herself to relax; it gave her lungs the air they needed for her to keep going.

When she opened her eyes again, there was no more sun, only the dark chill of twilight. Kagome slowed to a trot and then a brisk walk. She kept walking as she turned back towards the village. The urge to stop and pant was strong but she knew that her muscles would freeze up and she'd be in pain if she did that. It wouldn't be a good idea because there were no masseuses here in the past. That would hurt!

She walked for several minutes, knowing where every rise was, every rock, and every ditch. She knew this path as well as the town she was living in. For several months she had run this path, knowing that the road back was as easy to follow at night as it was at midday.

This was where she could clear her thoughts and get her emotions back in check. One of the essentials to surviving out here was keeping herself in check so that she could focus on her surroundings. She let her feet guide her through the familiar steps as she opened her mind and unleashed her aura. Over the year she had spent exclusively in the past, she had learned how to tap into those long dormant powers.

She felt the earth shifting beneath her boots, the air breezing past her and caressing her skin. She focused her senses further out and could feel small critters scampering into their burrows to hide from the imposing threat that she could have been.

Kagome smiled as she felt the larger and bolder creatures of the animal kingdom come a bit closer to inspect the unknown. It was that curiosity that tied together every living creature on earth. Be they beast, human, demon, or a creature she hadn't met yet, they all shared common threads.

As she neared the first slope on her way back to the village, Kagome realized that there was another creature that she had not previously felt out here on her sacred path. She wanted to be agitated that he was here, but she just couldn't find it in her to care that much. In fact, it made her feel that much safer out in the wild.

She walked in silence for a while, just letting her self breathe and feel without the burdens of her life suffocating her. He seemed content to just hang back and follow her, keeping a respectful distance while still letting her know that he was there.

She realized that she was upwind from him and felt a little self-conscious since she had just been running and sweating, which meant that she was probably giving him a good whiff of unpleasantness.

"Sorry about earlier"

She spoke quietly enough that anyone walking next to her would have had difficulty hearing her, but she knew that the wind would carry the message to him. It was so much easier to talk to him when he was so far away.

"I got emotional and I shouldn't have. I'll try to remember that in the future"

During her admission, Kagome had walked far enough that she could now see the lanterns glowing in the huts just over the next rise. She paused for a moment and looked behind her. Although she couldn't see him, she knew that he could see and hear her just fine.

"Good night Sesshoumaru"

With that, she turned and took off at a jog towards Inuyasha's hut. Sesshoumaru didn't follow.

* * *

Sango paced the floor of the house quietly. Kagome had left just after midday and had still not returned. Night had fallen quite some time ago and Sango was beginning to worry. One of the villagers had said that she had taken off to the west in a sprint and that apparently it wasn't unusual of her to do so.

There was so much more to this than she had said there was. Sango had known better than to believe that what Kagome had told her was the whole truth, but she didn't think that it was this bad either.

When the bamboo flap at the door swung open, she turned and pinned Kagome with a stare. The girl was clearly out of breath from her run and completely shocked to see Sango standing there seething and worried out of her mind.

After a few moments of letting it sink in, Sango rushed up to Kagome and enveloped her in a hug, noting how long it took Kagome to hug her back.

"Thank the Gods you're okay. Where have you been?!"

She held Kagome at arm's length and gave her a once over before pinning her with a stare that clearly told the younger girl that it was time to talk.

She was satisfied when Kagome sighed and nodded her head.

"Let me go change real quick"

She watched as her little sister walked into the back room and began shuffling around. Sango heard water running in and wondered what it was. Kagome had some unique items from her home time and had probably brought another one of those strange items to make her life that much more interesting here in Edo.

Sango set about making some tea and prepared the blanket around the kotatsu for Kagome to curl up with. When Kagome emerged from the back room nearly half an hour later, Sango was having a hard time keeping her eyes open.

"Maybe we should talk tomorrow, you look tired."

Sango bolted upright and glared at the younger woman.

"Oh no you don't…you aren't getting out of this that easily! Sit."

Kagome was shocked at the amount of venom in Sango's voice and responded appropriately. She sat and stared wide eyed at the older girl. After Sango poured some tea for the two of them, she sat back and sipped for a while before placing her cup down.

"Alright, now where were you first of all?"

"I went for a run"

"Okay. Why?"

"Because I needed the exercise"

Kagome jumped when Sango slammed her hands down on the kotatsu, tilting her tea cup dangerously.

"Don't toy with me Kagome. Something is going on here and you aren't sharing. It's obviously beating you up, so out with it!"

Kagome sighed and put her tea down. It just figured that she would make friends with people that had strong personalities.

"Alright…alright. I've just had a rough time lately with Inuyasha, okay? He's… I don't know, upset…all the time. Everything I do is wrong. I don't know why. It's just a rough patch. It happens in every relationship. It'll pass. Until then, I just need a little time to myself"

She watched as Sango processed what she had told her, and of course all of the things that she didn't tell her. It was the way things were with them. They could talk and not say anything and know exactly what they meant to say.

"Kagome, how long has this been going on?"

Kagome fidgeted for a minute, knowing good and well that she wasn't going to be able to skirt around this part of the conversation.

"About 7 months now"

"Kagome!"

Kagome shrunk under the blanket around the kotatsu and stared into her cup of tea. She knew what that sounded like, but it really wasn't that bad!

"I know. I know! But it's fine Sango. Everything will be okay. Please, let's just get some sleep. I'm tired after that run."

She waited with baited breath as Sango considered her next action.

"Fine, but this is not over. We will be talking about this again"

"Yes mother"

Sango's laughter helped to loosen the tension in Kagome's shoulders. She felt herself melt just a bit more and smiled.

"Now, what was that running water I heard earlier?"

Kagome thought for a minute on what she meant before it dawned on her.

"That's the bath. Here, come on, I'll show you"

Kagome led Sango around to the back of the house where a pump and pulley system was set up with a large basin of water. She explained how the water was kept in the large basin and pumped into the house when water was needed. It still had to be filled every couple days, but this way there was always fresh water nearby.

"I am so getting Miroku to make me that!"


	2. Chapter 2

**TITLE**: Ruby Red

**CHAPTER 2**

* * *

Four weeks had passed since Sango had come to Edo to work with Rin on some of the changes she would be facing soon. They seemed to be doing well and even though he hadn't said anything, Kagome knew that Sesshoumaru was pleased with the progress. He would have been certain to say something otherwise if he were unhappy. Kagome was just happy that she could focus on her work with the herb garden rather than be scrutinized by Lord High and Mighty every day.

Inuyasha had returned last night to check on the progress that was being made and had said that he would stay in Edo now since Sango didn't expect to be there more than another day or two. Kagome knew that it was best that Sango get back to her own village, but she really wished that it didn't happen so fast. Four weeks was not enough time to catch up with someone when they were always working!

Kagome sighed and picked up her basket of freshly picked herbs. She didn't need to make any more potions today, so this was all just for the sake of staying busy. In fact, she wouldn't be picking herbs for a while because the garden needed time to grow. She could still spend her mornings in the garden, tending and weeding of course, but that seemed so very boring.

Sunlight filtered across the land slowly. Kagome turned to see the first rays as they came up to begin burning away the morning dew. It seemed that today would be warm; that was something to smile about.

With a smile, Kagome began her walk back into town. The villagers all seemed to be in high spirits this morning, likely because the weather was promising to be so nice after so many months of snow and then rain. They all needed a good warm day to keep them going.

As she passed the first hut on the outer edge of town, Kagome noticed someone sitting on the small crest just off to the side. She couldn't tell who was there right away because the sun was directly in her eyes at that angle. She came upon a standing carriage and used that to shield her eyes so that she could see who was over there.

She wished that she hadn't done that.

There on the hill was Inuyasha's tell-tale fire rat top draped over a small female. The owner of the top was sitting next to her, allowing her the use of his shoulder to lean on. The sight was so unexpected that Kagome dropped her basket, the noise so startling that she jumped behind the carriage and pressed her back into the wooded side.

She could feel her heart beating its way out of her chest, her breathing becoming erratic and uncontrollable. It felt as though the whole world had just sucked together into that one small pinpoint right above her chest. The pressure was unbearable.

Kagome looked up to the sky and then closed her eyes, willing the image to go away. After several minutes, she realized that she was still standing there by herself; Inuyasha hadn't come over and started ranting and raving about what she did wrong. Slowly, so as not to make a sound just in case he was still there, Kagome peeked around the corner of the carriage.

She blinked several times and realized that Inuyasha and his female companion were nowhere to be seen. Her brows furrowed as she turned back to lean against the carriage and catch her bearings. Unfortunately for her, when she turned and opened her eyes, her vision was filled with silver hair and golden eyes.

It took everything in her not to shriek in surprise. Instead she gasped and placed a hand over her heart in a vain attempt to steady its erratic racing.

"Gods please don't do that again. I am too young to have a heart attack!"

She didn't receive a response to that, but then she didn't really expect one from him either. She watched as his eyes narrowed while he waited for her to say or do something. It wasn't fair that he was there at that moment to see what she had tried to hide from everyone else.

The look in his eyes was so damning though. He didn't have to say anything this time. She could see the anger and the disappointment lingering in those beautiful golden pools. Without a word, he called her a coward…and this time she was inclined to agree.

Kagome turned and stormed away from Sesshoumaru, berating herself the entire time for getting caught peeping on her own boyfriend. It was so stupid! Stupid situation…stupid feelings…stupid Inuyasha! Why was he doing this to her? What was wrong with him? What was wrong with HER? She just didn't understand!

Kagome wanted so badly to go home and cry in her mother's arms and hear her tell her that everything would be okay. Even when she knew that it wasn't true, just hearing her mother tell her that it would be okay was enough to make her feel good enough to face whatever it was she was going through. But now she didn't have that luxury. Now all she had was Kaede and the house that she sometimes shared with Inuyasha.

Well she wasn't going to go to Inuyasha's place, and she really wasn't feeling up to going to Kaede's now. Her mind was far too occupied with the image of Inuyasha getting cozy with some unnamed girl. Her heart clenched tightly in her chest. Part of her had known that this was coming, but still another part of her had argued that he wouldn't do that to her after everything that she had done for him.

Wow how wrong she was!

Kagome stopped walking and looked around. She was standing almost in the center of town. This was where the majority of the people could be found during the day. Shops of every sort were set up in the town square and everyone was trading and purchasing things all day long.

It didn't take more than a few moments for her to notice that everyone was staring at her. They all looked at her as if they knew something that she didn't. They all looked at her with pity.

Kagome turned around and stormed out of town. Screw them and their stupid ideas. They didn't know anything that she didn't know already…not anymore at least. She knew what he was doing and she knew that they all knew it too. She was the laughing stock of Edo. How wonderful for her!

So lost in her anger was she that Kagome didn't notice that she was walking straight back to the spot that her fragile world had crashed around her. When she got there, she realized that she had left her basket of herbs lying on the ground in her haste to get away from Sesshoumaru and his all-knowing and judgmental gaze. Well screw him too!

Kagome looked on the ground and tried to find her basket, but other than a few spilled herbs, there was nothing there that would even indicate that she had been there this morning.

"Crap"

That basket had taken her days to make. She didn't have the materials for another one and did not want to have to spend so much time making one either. The idea of just purchasing one seemed so much more feasible right then.

Kagome fingered the coins that hung from her bracelet. She really didn't have much left right now. Lifting her arm, she pulled up her sleeve to count the coins but noticed something else.

There on her wrist next to the string of coins was a bracelet that she had all but forgotten she even had. There were several glittering jewels on the bracelet that hung like charms on a Pandora bracelet. How could she forget about that?!

Sesshoumaru had given her the bracelet a few months ago, just before the first snow. She had been on a trip to the mountains in the far north to acquire a rare herb that was said to cure ailments such as Pneumonia, and other just as terrible things. When she had returned, Rin had come to her with a sore throat and a missing voice.

Kagome spent three days working on the poor girl and another week nursing her back to proper health. Sesshoumaru had handed her the bracelet wrapped in a beautiful silk scarf and said nothing more than the fact that she had earned what he bestowed upon her.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that he was grateful that she cured Rin when no one else seemed to know what to do. To Kagome though, it meant so much more than that. This was her reminder that after everything she went through, Sesshoumaru had given his trust and his respect to her that day.

Kagome dropped her arms to her side and stared hard at the ground for a few minutes. She didn't feel like she deserved the bracelet anymore. She felt like the coward he thought her to be.

Kagome kicked at a rock and watched as it rolled under the carriage. Today seemed to be a bit of a waste now. She didn't feel like seeing anyone still, so instead of heading back into town, Kagome turned around and went into the forest. She needed time to herself and decided that she would just take the rest of the day to come to terms with her sad little life.

* * *

"Why don't you just go look for her Inuyasha? She has been gone all day and you're irritable because of it. You're putting everyone on edge."

"I will not chase her down!"

Sango growled and crossed her arms before plopping down onto the mat in Inuyasha's house. It was twilight and no one had seen Kagome since midmorning when she stormed out of the town square. She hadn't even shown up at Kaede's to let her know that she wouldn't be working on the herbs today.

She hated feeling useless, but after searching everywhere she could think to look, Sango had no idea how to find Kagome. If the girl didn't want to be found then by the Gods she was not going to be found. Not, that is, unless you send a demon, or at least a half-demon, to fetch her. The problem with that is that the only one that seemed capable of doing such a thing was acting like he didn't care when everyone knew that his sour mood was because he didn't know where she was.

"Alright, then answer me this… why are you and Kagome not getting along right now? Is that why she took off?"

She must have caught him off guard because he actually looked startled. Or at least he had looked startled for a few moments; it didn't take long for him to drop his ears and start growling.

"Please Inuyasha, as if I'm afraid of your little purr. She hasn't been herself since she came to see me and I haven't had a chance to sit and talk with her. I was hoping to do that today but she just had to go missing. Why aren't you concerned about that?"

"Sango, I am not her keeper. Just chill, ok?"

Sango decided that talking to him was like talking to a rock. At least she knew exactly what to expect from him.

"Fine. I'm going to take a bath. I'm leaving in the morning and I'd like to at least be clean before I go"

"Do what you want. I'll stay out here"

"Thank you"

She figured his grunt was as much of a response as she was going to get. With that she went into the backroom and started the bath the way Kagome had shown her. This was so going to be a featured element in her new house!

* * *

Kagome walked through the town with her head dropped low. She knew that no one was staring at her but still felt like there were eyes watching her, mocking her and everything that she did. All she wanted to do was go inside, take a nice hot bath, and go to bed.

She moved the flap from the doorway and stood frozen to the spot as a pair of amber eyes locked onto hers. He was sitting against the far wall with his head down and arms crossed. He looked pissed and ready to rip her to pieces. Even though she knew that she had done nothing wrong, she suddenly felt a wash of guilt run through her.

She stepped into the house and let the flap fall behind her only to come up short when Inuyasha stood up. Her nerves were taking over and she found herself fiddling with the bracelet Sesshoumaru had given her.

He must have noticed because his eyes trailed down her body and rested on her hands. The clenching and unclenching of his fists told her that he was unhappy with her, as if there was a question in the first place.

"So…"

She jumped when he spoke and watched as he walked up to her and invaded every ounce of personal space she thought to own. His hand reached down and pulled her arm up, his other hand coming up to finger the bracelet on her wrist.

"…you're still wearing this thing, eh?"

He held her wrist gently but stared deep into her eyes. Her only reaction was to recoil and fold in on herself. She remembered how much he hated the bracelet. When he found out that she had received it from his brother, he called her names and accused her of sleeping with him even though he knew that she had never been with anyone.

After that, any time the bracelet was brought he would make some condescending remark and scoff at how easily she fell for the charms of men. He didn't understand what it meant to her and seemed to think that it should mean nothing. He seemed to treat her as though she had betrayed him just by accepting the gift.

He let her hand drop and to her side and walked past her with such force that she stumbled into the doorway, the bamboo flap coming down to smack the side of her face after he left.

Kagome took a deep breath and willed away the tears that had built up in her sapphire eyes. It was so painful to talk to him, to just be in his presence anymore. She knew that it hurt because she wanted to love him and be happy with him, but she just couldn't.

He had become abusive and angry. After what she had seen him doing with that girl, Kagome had spent the better part of the day meditating and gathering her thoughts. She sorted through her feelings, identifying and labeling each one.

The sad truth of it all was that she knew that she didn't love Inuyasha and he sure as hell didn't love her. They were in a relationship simply because everyone expected them to be. Well, almost everyone. Apparently his brother thought that they were both stupid. And maybe they were. Who was she to say if staying with Inuyasha was a smart or stupid move? What's done is done.

The only thing that needed to be done now was a clean break. Kagome needed to find a new house, and a new purpose. Regardless of her teen fantasies, Kagome knew that Inuyasha was not her knight in shining armor.

There were still a few things here in Edo that needed tending, but once that was done there was nothing more that she would be needed for here. Rin would need to be taken care of, and the garden would need to be passed on to another one of Kaede's understudies. Both tasks were easy to take care of and once they were done, Kagome would set out on her own adventure.

She had come here thinking that she would begin her happily ever after, but this was not what she had imagined. This was not her home.

* * *

Morning came swiftly and with it the departure of her close friend. When Sango hugged her, Kagome felt like her life was being crushed. The words she had whispered still rang in her ears as a damning truth.

"I know what happened last night. I don't know why. But you need to take some time off, come and stay with us and you and I can talk this out"

After that she had left and Kagome had gone back to the forest. She spent the better part of the morning running through the trees and brush and generally just gathering her thoughts and her courage. She would need everything to be in order over the next few days so that she could do what needed to be done.

When lunch had come around, Kagome returned to town and bathed before heading to Kaede's hut. She explained that she would be leaving soon but didn't say why. Kaede was never one to question such things and probably had known what was going on all along. The very idea that everyone had known except for her made her burn with anger.

She was the 'respected Priestess of the Jewel of Four Souls'. Some respect they afforded her!

Kagome sat atop a small hill on the edge of the village and watched as carriages and caravans made their way into the village. This week they were playing host to a handful of potential suitors for Rin. For her part, Kagome was doing a wonderful job staying out of the way. She should have been there for Rin, but she felt like a dark cloud hovering over the young girl's activities.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when Inuyasha came up beside her. He apparently wasn't going to be there long because he didn't sit down.

"Kaede said that you're leaving soon"

Kagome furrowed her brows and plucked at the grass between her legs. Why would Kaede tell him anything that she had confided? What happened to confidentiality and couth?

"Yes"

There was no point in denying it now. She had needed to let him know anyway.

"Do you want me to dry some meats for you?"

Kagome realized that this was his way of accepting her decision and not making a scene about it. She was grateful for that much at least.

"It would be nice, but you don't have to do that"

Kagome smiled when he grunted. That was the boy she had fallen for; it was that gruff exterior covering up his true soft intentions that had her falling so hard when she was younger.

"You weren't going to say anything before you left, were you?"

Kagome thought about that for a moment and sighed.

"What's there to say Inuyasha? You and I both know that you don't want me here. And you know that I wouldn't want to be anywhere that I'm not wanted."

"It isn't about that woman!"

"Yes it is. That's all that it's about. I won't make more out of this than it is"

Kagome fingered the bracelet on her wrist trying to garner a little strength from it. She had kept her voice calm and steady, but the more he talked the harder it was not to just cry and scream. It wasn't fair! Why couldn't anyone just love her? What happened?

"If you want to believe that then fine…I didn't need you here anyway. Maybe HE can give you what you want"

She clutched the bracelet tighter as he leapt away from her and her eyes filled with tears. Why did he have to talk down to her like that? Why did he hate her so much? So many more questions flitted through her mind within the span of a few seconds and none of them had any answers.

Kagome looked up and smiled bitterly into the breeze, willing the wind to wash away her tears.

She stayed that way for a while before she decided that the tears could just fall. No one was there to see them anyway. The problem was that she wasn't even sure why she had been crying.

"Why can't I just cry in peace?"

Kagome couldn't hold back the tears any longer, and just when she had lost that battle, he just happened to show up.

She looked up and stared into the golden eyes that had begun to haunt her thoughts and sometimes even her dreams. He had always been such a small part of her life and yet he was just as much a part of her life as the sun and moon as of late. There was nothing that she could do to extricate him from her life any longer. Not right now at least.

"You are leaving"

Kagome sighed and looked back to the ground between her legs.

"Not until after Rin has found a husband and the herb garden has been passed on to a new caretaker"

When he didn't say anything more, she had thought that he would leave. She was surprised when she saw him settle on the grass beside her. She watched out of the corner of her eyes as he reached over, pulled her hand in his lap and began fingering the bejeweled bracelet he had gifted her.

She looked up to see what his expression might tell her. She wasn't surprised when it told her nothing. His eyes were the only indication of any thought and they looked pensive at best. She had no idea how to interpret that look.

"Where will you go?"

Kagome creased her brows and thought for a while on the question.

"I don't know"

She became a little nervous when he seemed more interested in her bracelet than she thought he ought to be.

"Do you know why I gave this to you?"

"I healed Rin"

His look of utter boredom told her that she had gotten that one wrong…very wrong.

"You, Kagome, have earned both my trust and my respect. It just happened that the trinket was completed at the same time that you had healed Rin's ailment."

How ridiculously obvious! The idea that he had given it to her because of Rin was ludicrous for a couple of reasons. First off was the simple fact that he would never gift anyone with anything just for doing their job; that just wasn't logical. Second was the simple fact that he would have had to put thought into the gift. These days were not filled with a local jeweler that sold stocks of mass-produced premade jewelry. He would have had to have this piece commissioned.

Kagome reached over and touched a few of the jewels on her bracelet, not really caring that her fingers grazed against his every now and again.

All that added up to two very loud facts for her. It meant that he not only had given her the bracelet as a representation of their relationship, but also that this was a one of a kind precious piece that he had had made specifically for her.

"You know, I would hug you if I thought it was safe enough to do so."

"Why would it not be?"

"You actually WANT me to hug you?"

His eyes told the story, always. If she hugged him then she would regret it. Maybe he wouldn't hurt her, but she would feel like a fool and he wouldn't stop her from her self-damaging actions. Kagome laughed and tried to wipe away some of the tears.

"Only you can make a hug seem deadly Sesshoumaru"

Kagome stood and turned to leave. Her little talk with Sesshoumaru had done wonders to her confidence.

"Thank you"

She was sure he wouldn't know why she was thanking him, but she found that it didn't really matter. She was thankful for him and that was enough for her.

* * *

After three days of the events, Kagome heard that Rin had already become smitten with one of her suitors. The funny part was that the suitor just happened to be Sango's younger brother, Kohaku.

She supposed that he would have a better start than any of the other guys since he had been studying under Sesshoumaru for the past four years and so had already garnered the approval of the overprotective dog. For her part, Rin was smitten with him mostly due to the past trials they had survived together.

Kagome was rooting for the boy for several reasons. First and foremost was the fact that it was Sango's brother; he was like family to her and that would ensure that Rin would remain a part of her life. No matter how selfish that seemed to anyone else, Kagome was determined to ensure that Rin was a part of her life for as long as she was there.

It was for that reason alone that Kagome was participating in the events that were taking place today. The males were to engage in a contest for a chance to win a private dinner with the Lady Rin.

It could be said that Kagome was 'fixing' the game, so to speak, but really she was just giving Kohaku a little extra chance to be the one to win. It wasn't quite the same thing and so completely within the rules of the game.

The idea behind the game was to collect certain game for the final feast, each of which is scarce in this area at this time of year. The winner would be determined by the male that brought all the game back first, or if none of them returned with every beast prior to nightfall, then the male with the most would win.

Each male was given a specific area with which they were allowed to hunt. These areas were sectioned off by rope and flags. Kagome was merely ensuring that at least one of each of the beasts were comfortably nestled within the patch of forest that Kohaku had been assigned to hunt.

The hunt was scheduled to begin at midday. Kagome looked up to see that midday was only a short time off, maybe half an hour or so left to wait.

Knowing that the game would be forfeit if anyone other than the hunters were spotted in their respective areas, Kagome ducked out of the forest on the far side of the patch. She was met with the disapproving eyes of one very large demon.

Kagome looked up and shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, or at least as much as she could while being stared down by such an intimidating character.

"What?"

"Woman, you will not interfere"

Kagome waved him off and began walking the path back to the village.

"Of course not. I'll be standing right next to you the entire time."

"Hn"

The village border was filled with many people that wanted to see the young hopefuls off before the hunt. Kagome noticed that most of the people present were young, eligible women hoping to catch the eye of such handsome young men. They wanted to make a good impression for all them so that those men that did not win the hand of Lady Rin would hopefully turn their sights towards one of them instead.

It was mostly a futile attempt at snagging a husband, but these days were filled with such desperate acts. It was hard to meet someone outside of your immediate home. Until a more updated transportation system was established, such things would continue to burden the people of Japan.

"Have you attended these sort of events before this Sesshoumaru?"

"No"

"Oh. Well, I suppose this could be a very long hunt, or a very short one. I hope that it doesn't take them all afternoon to complete the hunt. It would make the wait very boring"

She smiled when he didn't respond, knowing that there wasn't much of a response that he could have given other than a slyly worded insult. Though she was sure he had thought of one that would be perfect to lay on her.

As they reached the crowd that had gathered for the hunt, Kagome looked over to see that Sesshoumaru was still with her. Maybe it was foolish, but she wanted him by her side when the dust settled. He was a stone in the ever changing winds. Unless it rained on him, there would be no moving him. She needed to have that stability around her to help her get through the next few days.

"It is time"

Kagome looked up to the sky and noted that it was indeed midday. She looked out over the crowds and noticed that all the men were standing at the edge of the forest in their designated areas waiting for the cue to start.

She watched as Rin walked out to the men, eyeing each one carefully. Her hands went up and pulled the small scarf from her neck and she held it out the one of the men. This was the token she gave to her preferred male, the well wish to the one that she wanted to see win…Kohaku.

Once that was done, Rin stepped back and bowed low to the men. That was the beginning of the hunt.

Kagome looked up to Sesshoumaru and smiled at the way his eyes narrowed at the men. She knew that he was doing this for Rin, but she also knew that he had wanted to never ever go through with it. If he had it his way, she was positive that Sesshoumaru would have kept Rin all to his self until the day she died.

"Would you like something to drink Sesshoumaru?"

He never looked at her, never acknowledged her, never even so much as nodded; still, Kagome knew that he was interested in her offer, so she went into town and grabbed them each a flask of water. She had found that during gatherings such as this, he preferred to avoid the traditional spirits that the town vendors would sell.

When she returned and handed him his flask, he looked at her and smirked before taking a sip of water.

"I thought you said you would remain next to me the entire time"

Kagome rolled her eyes and took a sip from her own flask.

"Then next time I need to move from this spot you can come with me"

* * *

Kagome sat on soft grass plucking at the new blades. The ground had been dry for over a week now and she was very grateful for that. They had been waiting for almost three hours now and she wasn't sure she would have lasted out here if she'd had to stand the entire time. How Sesshoumaru did it she would never know.

"You know, you aren't the best company. You're too quiet"

He, of course, didn't say a damn thing. He just stood there staring at the forest. Of course he could probably hear everything that was going on down there, so he was probably just focused on that.

Who was she kidding? She had saddled herself with Mr. Chatty for the day and would have to suffer through his normal silence as punishment for her stupidity.

Kagome stood up and brushed the grass from her jeans. Her feet were starting to fall asleep. Just as she turned to say something to Sesshoumaru, her tongue caught in her throat.

There, just a few feet from them, was Inuyasha and his new girlfriend. He had his arms folded around her waist while she rested her back against his chest. They were visiting with Rin and her maids for the events.

Sesshoumaru must have noticed her change in demeanor because he chose that moment to look away from the hunt.

"At least that one has a heartbeat"

Kagome was so shocked that he had said something that she wasn't sure she had heard him right.

"Eh?"

"The girl is at least a live one this time"

Kagome couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips and immediately apologized.

"I didn't know you told jokes"

"I do not"

"Okay, so that was a fact, but it was a funny fact and unnecessarily pointed out…that's called jesting. So yes, you do"

The way he looked at her with one eyebrow perfectly raised was a bit unnerving. Kagome had never quite figured out how to do that with just one eyebrow. Every time she had tried, she ended up looking constipated or just plain uncomfortable. Definitely not the intimidation that she was going for.

She smiled at him and turned back to the scene in front of her.

"It bothers you"

"Not the way you think. It just bothers me that he would be so public with her when we just officially split up 3 days ago. And maybe also because he was never public with me. It's almost like our relationship was shameful and secretive when it really wasn't."

"Hn"

What else was there to say? It was the truth, after all. Inuyasha had treated their relationship like it was a burden rather than a blessing. It was simply the way things were.

Kagome jumped when a horn sounded out above the chattering of the crowd. She turned in time to see Rin stand and look out over the crowd to hopefully see who it was that had emerged victorious.

The horn was only to be sounded once the victory was confirmed. It was intended to send a call out to the other hunters to let them know that the game was spent.

Kagome stood on the tip of her toes trying to see who it was that had won the game. Unfortunately, no amount of tip-toeing was going to help her to see over the throng of people that had gathered.

Rin was doing a wonderful impression of a woman that was unconcerned with which male had won the contest. In the end though, Kagome could see the way she bounced back and forth on the balls of her feet.

"I can't see who the lucky winner is"

She turned to see Sesshoumaru walking away from the crowd and trotted to catch up with him.

"Kohaku"

"YES!"

Kagome blushed when she realized just how loud she had said that. She didn't dare look back to see if anyone had turned to look at her after that either. How embarrassing!

* * *

The final night had come in the events to win the hand of Lady Rin. All of the villagers were excited for the feast that was to follow her announcement. Once the official announcement was made, everyone would be released to enjoy games, music, dancing, food and spirits.

All of this was being hosted by the one and only Mr. High and Mighty, which meant that he was in a sour mood today. No matter who Rin chose, Sesshoumaru would foot the bill for this and several more parties as well as the wedding.

Kagome smiled over to Rin and nodded her approval of the outfit she had chosen. It was soft and light, but shimmered and shined. She would be able to move and be comfortable but still proper.

"Kagome, can I ask you something?"

"Sure"

"Who do you think I should choose?"

Kagome thought of the best way to answer the question. She was sure that Rin had made up her mind and wouldn't have any doubts, but clearly that was not the case. It would be interesting to see how bad her wedding day jitters were going to be.

"I think you should choose whoever you want"

"But what if Lord Sesshoumaru doesn't like the man that I choose"

Kagome laughed and pulled the girl into a hug. So that was the problem.

"Rin, listen to me. Don't let that stuffy old dog scare you out of having what you want. The only right choice is your choice. Even if Sesshoumaru doesn't like that choice, he can't choose your happiness for you. It is about you so you are the only one that can decide what is best for you. This is that one moment in your life when you get to be one hundred percent, completely, utterly, and shamelessly selfish! Enjoy every second of it"

With a wink, Kagome released the girl and exited the hut. She was supposed to sit at the family table tonight, but she was a little unnerved that she would have to share a seat next to Inuyasha's new girlfriend. She made her way over to the town square and watched as the villagers set up final touches on the decorations.

The announcement was supposed to happen within the next few hours.

Kagome smiled as she noticed that both Miroku and Sango had made it in time for the end of the festivities. Knowing what she did about the past week, Kagome was certain that they were about to become an extended part of Sesshoumaru's little family.

"Hey guys!"

Kagome waved as they came running up to her, doling out hugs and hellos.

"Would you like to freshen up and change real quickly?"

Sango nodded her ascent with a hint of excitement.

"Can we please use your house? We really could use a bath first."

Kagome's heart sped up for a moment in realization. They did not yet know that she and Inuyasha were no longer together. However, the house was still half hers according to him so there wouldn't be an issue with letting them use the house to change.

"Of course"

She tried to cover up her moment of panic with a wave and began walking towards the house. After the festivities were done, Kagome would talk with them. Until then, she would rather they just enjoy the feast and fun.

Kagome stopped walking, wondering where exactly Inuyasha was at that moment. She didn't want to walk in on him and have to explain that to anyone. She prodded around a little with her aura and was relieved to find that Inuyasha was not inside so she moved the flap aside to let everyone enter.

On the way in, Miroku caught her eye.

"Is everything okay Kagome?"

Caught off guard again, Kagome giggled to cover up her nerves and waved him off.

"Of course it is. There's just a lot to do. You two go freshen up and I'll meet you back in the square in an hour or so, ok?"

She watched the thoughts pass over his features while he considered her response. She wasn't dumb enough to think that he actually bought her little lie, but she hoped that he at least recognized that now was not the time to discuss such things.

"Alright, later then. We'll see you in a bit"

Kagome nodded and watched as he disappeared into the back room with his wife. She was sure that if he had his way, they would be defiling Inuyasha's house. She was fine with that.

With a shake of her head, Kagome walked back out to the square and busied herself with the final touches. She wasn't really needed for that, but she wasn't needed anywhere else either, so why not just help?

Several hours later, Kagome was happy to say that everything was ready for the night. All that was needed now was the food, the people, and the guests of honor.

Somewhere along the way, Sango and Miroku had come out and began helping even after she told them to relax. They all knew that wasn't going to happen because those two did not know the true meaning of the word. But that was the way things were and the normalcy of that gave Kagome the peace that she needed to get through the day.

* * *

Night had fallen over the village and the crowd had gathered in the square to await the announcement and begin the festivities. Already they had been purchasing fireworks and foods from the street vendors to pass the time. Most of the children were tucked away in their beds and fast asleep so that the adults could enjoy the festivities; a few of the older children could be seen traipsing about and causing small bits of trouble here and there though.

Kagome peeked out over the crowd and spied her friends sitting at a table with their younger brother, Kohaku. He looked very handsome in his formal wear and so very nervous.

These sorts of competition and over-the-top festivities were not standard courting procedures, but it was what Rin had wanted and so that was what she got. Kagome figured that the girl had seen a lot of adventure in her young life and that the more subtle and socially recognized forms of courting would have bored her.

Across from the four tables of suitors and their guests was the main table where Rin would be sitting. She could see that Kaede was already seated and that Inuyasha and his girlfriend were headed to their seats and she knew that Sesshoumaru would be escorting Rin to her seat. That just left her. Being the girl's guardians, she and Kaede were expected to sit at the family table as well.

Kagome turned to see Rin and Sesshoumaru walking up the side to take their seats. It was time to get this going finally. She steeled her nerves and walked out into the crowd to make her way to the head table.

Just as she arrived, Inuyasha and his girlfriend sat down at the table… hand-in-hand and smiling for the entire world to see. Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The humiliation was heavy and she felt her nerves begin to give out. She was determined to make this night a good one though. This was Rin's night and she was not about to let some stupid idea that people were thinking poorly of her get in the way of Rin's night.

Kagome squared her shoulders and walked around the table before taking a seat next to Kaede. They were seated on the left end of the table, with Inuyasha's girlfriend on the far outer edge of the opposite end and Inuyasha sitting beside her. Beside him would be Rin, then Rin's new fiancé once the announcement was made, and finally Sesshoumaru. This would place Rin and her fiancé in the center of the table at the seats of honor.

At least, Kagome thought, she would be sitting next to Lord High and Mighty. If anyone wanted to start something or look at her with those pitiful eyes of theirs, they would likely relent for fear that the Great Demon Lord might think that they were looking at him instead. She would be saved from seeing their pity and could ignore that she knew they pitied her once she'd had a drink or two.

Only moments after she sat down, Kagome's thoughts were interrupted by the guest of honor herself. She stood on a small stand just in front of the head table and bowed to everyone. All at once, silence reigned over the courtyard.

As soon as Sesshoumaru was seated next to Kagome, Rin began.

"Thank you everyone for coming. This week has been a multitude of things for me, but mostly it has been exciting. I am very grateful that each of you had come to compete in this unique event and am honored to announce my choice"

Kagome smiled at the girl as she took a dramatic pause and eyed each of the competitors. She had told Rin that the pause would give everyone a minute to build up their excitement and anticipation for her answer. She was glad that she had listened to her.

"For my future husband and lifelong mate, I choose…Kohaku. Will you have me?"

Kohaku stood and walked to the stand before bowing down to one knee.

"It would be my honor"

The cheering that ensued was loud and addictive and Kagome couldn't help but to join in. She felt tears well up behind her eyes and prayed that she wouldn't cry. At least the girl would get her happily ever after.

As the two walked hand in hand to the head of the table, everyone around them began chatting. Kagome noticed that they were walking by her so she reached out and tugged Kohaku's sleeve. When he bent down to hear what she had to say, she whispered so that no one else could hear her, except maybe Sesshoumaru of course.

"If you hurt her, I will kill you."

She saw him nod and sent him off with a wink and a smile.

"That was unnecessary"

Kagome turned to Sesshoumaru and smiled.

"Not really. He's like a little brother to me. He knows I wouldn't say it if I didn't care. Besides, he'll treat her right whether I wanted him to or not; he's been smitten with her for years"

Kagome turned her sights out into the crowd and watched as the servants and vendors began filling the tables with foods and drinks. Spirits of all types were being set out and a kabuki player was off to the side playing some music. Later there would be a more up tempo sort of music.

Her eyes were captured by none other than Miroku, sitting across from them and staring her down with a 'we need to talk' look. Kagome took a deep breath and nodded. She had forgotten that Inuyasha would be bringing his girlfriend along, which meant that Sango and Miroku would see what was going on and she hadn't had the decency to tell them first. She felt like a bad friend.

"I'll be right back"

Kagome got up from her seat and walked over to a side vendor selling trinkets and charms. She smiled when she noticed that some of the baubles were supposed to represent the long-gone Jewel she used to protect. She turned to her friends when they arrived.

"Kagome, what's going on?"

Kagome's smile faded and she looked over to the table at Inuyasha. He did look happy.

"Exactly what it looks like"

Sango looked angry enough to slaughter someone.

"Why didn't you tell me? What happened? Kagome I don't understand!"

Kagome sighed. This could never go smooth, could it?

"Sango, I don't know. I told you it was a rough patch. I told you I don't know what I did wrong. All I know is that he wasn't happy with me, so he found it somewhere else. But…he does look happy now, doesn't he?"

Kagome looked back at the table to see Sesshoumaru staring pointedly at her. She needed to get back up there; it was terribly rude of her to have left in the first place.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you first; I was going to tell you in the morning after the festivities were done. I hadn't thought about him bringing her tonight…I should have. I'm sorry. But I have to go now."

Sango's hug was fierce and nearly-suffocating.

"Just try to enjoy the night… your brother is now engaged to be married. We'll talk about the stupidity of men another time"

They all laughed as they departed back to their respective seats, agreeing to keep the peace at least for one night.

Kagome returned to her seat and found that Sesshoumaru had taken the liberty of having a meal brought for her. She smiled in gratitude and picked at the food in front of her.

There were plenty of breads, fruits, and meats. What she wanted, though, did not come on a plate. She looked around for her cup and a jug of spirits.

There were four plaster jugs sitting on the table just outside her reach. She turned to Sesshoumaru and touched his shoulder to gain his attention.

"Could you pass me the red spirits please?"

Without looking at her, he grabbed the jug and placed it down in front of her. She realized that his attention was on the crowd. She hadn't really thought about it before, but there were a few demons and a few mixed breeds that were here. He was probably making sure that they didn't cause any problems for the humans in the village.

"Thanks"

Kagome poured herself a cup and began sipping on it while taking small bites of her food every now and again. She ate very little bread because she didn't want it to absorb all of the alcohol. She intended to be at least a little buzzed for most of the festivities. She felt she deserved at least that much since she had held her composure so well throughout the past few months that this was being planned.

Half an hour had passed and she noticed that most of the guests were finished eating and the tables were being cleared from the center of the square. Rin stood and walked once again to the small platform in front of the table.

"I hope you have all enjoyed this feast. Please feel free to remain and enjoy some entertainment and spirits. Have a good time tonight!"

Cheers went up just as the music began a quick up tempo. Several of the guests were already out in the square dancing and enjoying the fun. Kagome smiled at Rin when Kohaku asked her to dance.

When Inuyasha also stood, she originally had paid it no mind. Not, that is, until he came over to her and whispered in her ear.

"I saw you talking with them earlier. I'm going to go introduce them to her. Have fun tonight Kagome. Maybe my brother here can show you a good time"

She watched as he winked at her and walked away. He had definitely had a bit too much to drink.

Kagome peeked over at Sesshoumaru to see if he had heard. He looked the same as always, stiff and bored, but his eyes were a deeper gold showing off his anger.

Yep, he heard.

Kagome sighed and grabbed the jug of spirits, deciding that it was a better option than talking about what had just happened. She poured herself a cup and spotted Inuyasha in the crowd, introducing the girl to her friends. They all smiled and shook hands, the girl playing the shy newcomer very well.

Kagome scoffed and threw back her drink. This was going to be a longer night than she had expected.

"This is what I left the conveniences of home for… wonderful"

* * *

Several hours into the festivities, Kagome was beginning to feel a little light headed. The effects of the alcohol were doing their job and making her feel quite warm.

She watched Sango and Miroku make their way over to her and wish her a good night. They were staying at the headman's inn tonight and midnight was approaching quickly. Kagome waved goodnight to them and slurred a little when she tried to speak.

She giggled as she watched them leave and promptly choked on her giggle when she saw Inuyasha lead his little girlfriend out of the crowd towards his house. Great… just dandy.

Kagome reached for the bottle of spirits only to find that it had been moved out of her reach at the last minute. She looked up to Sesshoumaru confused. He wasn't drinking tonight so why did he take the jug?

"You have had enough"

"Hey, who are you to say how much I can drink?"

The words didn't sound as clear as she had wanted but she was sure that he understood her just fine.

"It is late; let me walk you home"

Kagome looked at him and frowned.

"Um…"

She wasn't sure how to tell him that she had no idea where she was sleeping tonight. She had planned on staying at the house she shared with Inuyasha, but she was positive that she did not want to hear what he would be doing tonight.

"Come"

Kagome stood and looked up at him, wringing her hands together in her nervousness.

"Sesshoumaru, I'm not sure where you can walk me to… I, uh, don't really know where I'm staying tonight"

His perfectly shaped brow lifted in what she assumed was disbelief. It was hard to tell since her vision was a little wobbly.

"I was going to stay at the house but Inuyasha and his girlfriend… well, yeah. Um…"

Kagome jumped when she felt his hand on her arm. She responded on autopilot and allowed him to lead her out of the square and down the path that led out of town.

"Where are we going?"

"To put you to bed"

"But…"

"Hush woman!"

Kagome promptly closed her lips and instead focused on walking. She was having a little difficulty keeping steady and it seemed that the more she focused on it, the worse she got at it.

At one point she had thought she was going to fall so she reached out and grabbed onto Sesshoumaru. Unfortunately one hand landed on his arm and the other on his side. Gods she was so unstable!

"Woman, would you try to walk straight?"

"Sorry Lord High and Mighty. I'm a little drunk you know."

His body tensed under her fingers and made her look up. His eyes were that dark and smoldering gold they usually got when something angered him.

"What?"

She saw his head shake and felt her body respond in kind; it made her dizzy. She closed her eyes and tried to steady the equilibrium that she had thrown off in her drunkenness. Apparently she was unsuccessful because the next thing she remembered was being held against a warm, hard body. The feeling of weightlessness threw her body for a loop and she felt herself working hard to keep the small bits of food she'd consumed in her stomach.

"Do not think to do so. You will find yourself sleeping with the wolves"

Kagome whimpered and held her breath in an attempt to steady her roiling stomach. She had gone too far with the drinks tonight.

When they stopped moving, Kagome felt her body double in dizziness and the urge to retch was worse than ever. She scrambled out of Sesshoumaru's arms and grabbed the tree closest to her for stability before bending over and unleashing the contents of her stomach.

She felt the hair around her face being pulled back and was grateful that she would be given reprieve this night. Just as she thought it was over, she gasped in air greedily. The action triggered another bout of retching and so she choked out the contents. It burned the back of her throat and her eyes burned from the tears leaking out with the lack of oxygen.

Gods she felt horrible.

Kagome stood straighter when it was over and blinked a few times. The amount of blood rushing through her ears made her head pound, the odor of her previous actions not helping in the least.

She felt a flask being pushed into her hands and looked at it in confusion for a minute. Her head felt a little clearer after so much alcohol was purged from her system and she was able to grasp that Sesshoumaru had handed her a drink. Whatever was in the flask was sure to be non-alcoholic. He seemed to not like it when she drank.

Kagome tipped the flask back and felt the coolness of fresh water hit her mouth. She swished it around a bit before spitting it out and repeating the action a few times. Once she was satisfied that the vile taste of bile was gone from her mouth, she took a small sip of the water and turned to Sesshoumaru.

"I'm sorry"

"Come"

The way he spoke to her let her know just how disappointed he was in her at that moment. She had allowed her weakness to control her and that was just one of those things he held in high regards. With a sigh, Kagome held onto his arm and walked the short distance to his camp just outside the borders of the village.

That night Kagome slept by a fire, comforted in the knowledge that Sesshoumaru would keep her safe and that mokomoko-sama would keep her warm.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title**: Ruby Red

**Chapter 3**

***NOTE**: I added a small element here that would overlap with the original story for Inuyasha. It was most effective for this part of the story so just bear with me. Also, some of you may not agree with what I've done in this chapter, but you'll have to deal with that. I'm not sorry for it.

****WARNING**: This chapter does contain a lemon. I usually don't write those, so be kind in the reviews please. I'm out of my element on this one.

* * *

The sun rose early the next morning and Kagome decided that she didn't want to get up. She had done quite a bit of damage to her senses last night and was not looking forward to facing the penalties for such a thing. Sesshoumaru had been very helpful and she would have to make it up to him somehow.

Kagome sat up with a groan and held her head between her hands. What she wouldn't give for some bottled aspirin right about now!

After several minutes, Kagome dared to open her eyes and look out over the fire. There across from her was none other than her savior from the night before. Kagome tried to sit up straighter and compose herself at least a little bit.

"Thanks for saving me from myself last night"

"I have come to expect such from you"

Kagome grimaced and dropped her eyes to her lap.

"Yeah, I'm a regular damsel in distress aren't I?"

She looked back up and watched for a few minutes as he stared into the fire. There wasn't really much she could say at that point so she gathered her bearings and stood up. She felt a little wobbly and really wanted to just stay in bed all day, but she knew that wasn't an option. She had chores to do and was not one to shirk her responsibilities.

"I'm going to go freshen up in the stream. I'll be back in a bit"

His eyes followed her out of the camp area and into the foliage. She could feel them burning into her back and wondered for the umpteenth time what it was he thought of when he looked at her. That was one of those things that she did not want to speculate on.

The river was colder than usual around this time of year, but it was all she had to work with right now. She was so not going into the house after Inuyasha was getting frisky with his girlfriend. It would be just a little too awkward right now.

Kagome washed her face and freshened up as best she could before returning to the camp. She sat at the fire and tossed on a log to heat up the small area just a bit more. The morning chill was getting to her.

Kagome sat down next to the fire and looked over to see that Sesshoumaru was still staring into the fire. He must have had something important on his mind.

"Sesshoumaru, do you mind if I use this for a while longer? It's pretty cold this morning"

Kagome held up mokomoko-sama and smiled when he shrugged. She knew he wouldn't really care but she needed something to fill the silence just a little bit. She didn't like when she was around others but couldn't have a conversation; it unnerved her for some reason.

She wrapped the soft fur around her shoulders and held the edges together with one hand while slowly stroking the fur with her other hand. It was one of the most luxurious things she had ever felt and she reveled in the moments that she had with the fur.

Several minutes passed in silence before Kagome decided that although the fur was wonderful, it just wasn't enough to distract her from her loud thoughts. She needed to get her things in order and figure out where she would be heading first. But to do that, she would need to see what sort of supplies she had available, how much of it she could sell, and try to determine how long she could spend out on her own.

Kagome stood and dusted off mokomoko-sama and made her way around the fire to stand in front of Sesshoumaru. She kneeled down and placed the fur in his lap, her hands skimming across his upper thighs. She felt the muscles beneath her hands flex and jump, causing her to look up into his eyes.

He was staring at her with another one of those emotions she just couldn't name. She felt her cheeks heating up of their own accord and wondered if he knew just how fast her heart was beating right then.

Kagome sat back on her heals and placed her arms around her knees while considering what had just happened. The heat of his stare was still burning her with its intensity, but she found she didn't mind.

"I'm going into town to get my things ready to sell. I'll be heading out either tomorrow or the next day."

He never said anything; that was his way of doing things. She knew though that he had watched her walk away, and he had done it with that strangely intense emotion burning in his eyes.

* * *

Kagome spent the better part of her morning gathering her belongings at Kaede's and setting them up in the square for sale. She hadn't yet seen Miroku and Sango, but she figured they were sleeping in after the late night they'd had.

She had tried to avoid going to Inuyasha's place too early, not wanting to intrude on his private time with his girlfriend. She kept thinking of her as his new girlfriend, but the way they had been so close told her that their relationship was not so new. She wanted to bury her head in the sand rather than face them again, but she knew that this had to be done. The majority of her belongings were kept in that house.

With a sigh, Kagome made her way over to the house. It was time to face her fears and get this all over with once and for all. When she got there though, Kagome heard raised voices and stopped in her tracks.

- *** Ruby Red *** -

"How could you do this to her? Don't you realize what she's given up just for you?! What were you thinking?"

"You don't know what you're talking about. I'm not discussing this!"

"Inuyasha, please just tell us what happened. Kagome is upset and…"

"And she's leaving. So what?!"

- *** Ruby Red *** -

Kagome decided that she'd heard enough. She did not want people talking about her when she wasn't even there. She moved the flap aside and entered the house, going straight for her belongings.

"That's quite enough you three. Inuyasha, do you know where I put my large black bag? I'm going to need that"

Inuyasha stood up and went to the back of the house. As soon as he was out of the room, Sango turned on her.

"What is he talking about Kagome?"

Kagome paused in her mission to get her things out as quickly as possible and turned to face her irate friend.

"Sango, I know you guys thought that we were going to get married and grow old together…but that just isn't going to happen. It's why I came back here, but it only took a couple of months of pretending to be happy for him to be completely unhappy. It isn't worth the fight. And besides…"

Kagome turned back to the shelf to gather her things and to hide her face because she could feel the tears threatening to fall again.

"…he found someone else a long time ago to make him happy…I just didn't know about it until a few days ago."

I wasn't good enough for even a couple of months apparently.

- *** Ruby Red *** -

Sango turned to see Inuyasha leaning against the entrance with his arms crossed and head bowed. Apparently he and Kagome hadn't ever really talked about this. She figured that was where most of the problem was; they never communicated properly.

Sango turned and placed her arms around her friend's shoulders from behind. She wanted so badly to give her everything that she had ever wanted because it wasn't even enough to cover all of the things that she felt she deserved.

"Listen to me Kagome, you don't get to leave here before me and you certainly don't get to go without sitting down and talking with me first. I won't abandon you and you apparently need to be reminded what that means. So after you're done in here, I want you to come and find me. Do you understand?"

She saw Kagome nod her head and felt her squeeze her hand. After that she grabbed Miroku and left the hut, but not without first glaring at Inuyasha. It was a promise that if he did anything more to hurt their friend that she would hunt him down and make him pay for it. He must have understood though because he nodded his head and appeared to be properly placated at that point.

- *** Ruby Red *** -

"Kagome…"

Said girl dropped her belongings on the shelf and stood frozen, waiting for her heart beat to slow down and her tears to stop.

"Is your girlfriend here?"

"Kiri"

"Right. Is Kiri still here?"

Kagome felt him standing behind her and couldn't help it when her body shook. What she had thought was supposed to be her whole world was standing right behind her and yet it felt more like he was worlds away.

"She left to see her parents just this morning"

Kagome turned around and held onto him with a strength she didn't feel. She wanted to cry and scream at him for what he had done…for what they had done.

"What did I do wrong?"

She felt more than heard him sigh and shuddered when his hand came up to stroke her hair.

"Honestly Kagome, it wasn't anything you did. I was stupid and did a lot of dumb things. I know I messed up"

They stayed like that for a while, just holding each other and thinking about all of the might-have-been's.

"Can I ask you something?"

His grunt was probably as much of an admission as she was going to get anymore so she took a breath and steeled her nerves.

"How long have you been seeing Kiri?"

The silence that followed that question felt more damning than anything he could have said.

"Why would you want to know that now? Isn't it enough to know that I wasn't faithful?"

"I don't know why… I just need to know"

She felt him sigh again and squeezed just a little tighter, refusing to let go just yet.

"I met her before you came back. We weren't seeing each other then, but I liked her. After two years I had thought you weren't going to be able to come back so I started letting myself at least other females as potential interests. By the time you got back a year after I met her, I had already had feelings for her. But she was gone by then, back with her family in the north. They moved down here to Edo a month or so after you had come back. It was…hard. I should have told you about her, but I didn't know how."

Kagome dropped her head lower and let her tears soak his clothing. She could understand how he, in his emotionally broken way, had been trapped in a web of his own making. In a way he hadn't done anything more than what she had asked him to do and when she had come back, she threw him for a loop.

"I was already second best when I got back"

"Kagome, no…you were never second best. You were always…too good"

Kagome laughed bitterly and let her arms fall to her sides. She understood a little better now why he was always lashing out at her and making things difficult.

"Promise me something…please?"

She felt his claw hook under her chin and force her eyes to look up at him.

"Anything"

"Always be my friend. No matter what happens, no matter where I go…you're the reason I came back and I won't lose you just because we won't be together like that. I can't. I need you in my life"

She felt herself crushed into his embrace once again and couldn't help but smile through her tears.

"How are you able to forgive people so easily?"

Kagome laughed and stepped away from him.

"Because, you idiot, if I didn't then I would be one seriously lonely girl! Think about how many people I have met that haven't treated me wrong in one way or another."

She loved the way he smirked at her; it was his most gorgeous physical quality in her opinion.

Kagome went about gathering the rest of her belongings from the house and went to the exit. She didn't want to be the one out there selling her things and dealing with the remarks of the villagers. That was one of the things that hurt her more than breaking up with Inuyasha.

"I've got to go sell these things so that I can have a little money on my journey. Maybe…maybe when I get back I can meet Kiri"

Inuyasha smiled and picked up several books before walking out the door.

"Why don't I help you with this?"

Kagome smiled and nodded.

"I'd like that"

* * *

Night was quickly approaching and cast shadows over the village. She had finished selling off the items she would no longer need, and a few of the poultices and potions that Kaede had gifted her to help her make a little more. All in all she had a small pouch of coins that would help her get through the first few days of her journey.

She had decided that she would leave in the morning. The garden was being taken over by Kaede until she could find someone that was good with growing plants and Rin was going to stay with Sango and Miroku to begin her actual courting with Kohaku. Everything was taken care of.

Kagome looked out over the square and watched with a strange sort of detachment as everyone began packing their things away and going home. She reached down and picked up the black bag that held the bits of clothing she had decided to take with her and the small provisions that she'd procured throughout the day through trade. Kaede was going to keep a small box of her belongings just in case.

Sango and Miroku had left for home earlier in the day. After a long discussion with both she and Inuyasha, they had accepted what was happening and had told her that she was welcome to stay with them if she ever needed a place to stay.

Kagome turned to Inuyasha and adjusted the strap on her shoulder.

"Well, I guess this is about it. I'll be heading out pretty early so…"

Inuyasha smiled and pulled her into another hug.

"Someone is here to see you. Why don't you spend the night with him? I'm sure he can give you some good advice…just don't tell him I said that."

Kagome backed up and looked over to her left to see Sesshoumaru walking towards them. She turned back to Inuyasha and nodded her head in agreement.

"If I didn't know better, I would think you were trying to set me up"

"Who knows…maybe I am"

Kagome laughed and waved goodbye to Inuyasha, leaving him with his delusions.

She stood in front of Sesshoumaru and watched as several emotions passed through his eyes. For once she didn't see the trademark disappointment or anger. She wasn't sure what he was looking for as he stared into her eyes. All she knew was that she couldn't help the butterflies and the strange weightlessness that settled in her bones when he looked at her like that.

When he turned and walked out of the village, she followed.

* * *

Night had fallen a long time ago and Kagome had found that she couldn't sleep. Sesshoumaru hadn't said a word to her but instead handed her the mokomoko-sama and looked pointedly at the soft grass next to the fire. After she had lain down on the soft fur, she found herself in the company of the Demon Lord once again when he sat down beside her.

He had started running his claws through her hair a few minutes ago and while it had made her jump at first, it didn't take her long to relax and enjoy such ministrations.

"I'm glad I talked to him before I left. Everything makes so much more sense now."

She smiled when a chill ran down her spine from the way his claws scraped against the base of her neck. She was lying with her head turned towards him but had kept her eyes closed even after he started playing with her hair.

"Look at me"

Kagome shook her head in the negative and let out a contented sigh.

"I don't want the magic to stop"

"Look at me"

Kagome slowly opened her eyes to see the golden depths of Sesshoumaru staring deep into her. The butterflies and weightlessness came back instantly and with a ferociousness that she hadn't felt before. His eyes bore into her and made her feel weak; that emotion that she couldn't place was back and made his eyes smolder.

"Please don't look at me like that"

"Like what?"

Kagome took a deep breath and tried to calm her heated body.

"It does things to me…"

"I am aware"

Kagome laughed. Of course he knew.

"It isn't fair or nice. I know you don't care about being nice…or fair, but I do."

"What isn't fair about it?"

Kagome dropped her eyes and stared at the space between them. There was very little space between them and it made her heart skip a beat again.

"I'm a young, inexperienced human female. I don't have the control over my feelings and emotions that you have over yours. When you look at me…like that…I can't help but feel."

She closed her eyes when he ran his claw down her arm and picked up her hand, placing it on his chest.

"What do you feel Kagome?"

"Things I can't name. Things I've never felt before."

She curled her fingers in his haori and spread them out again.

"And your heart"

"It is called lust, Kagome. That is what you are feeling"

Kagome laughed, slightly embarrassed by the way he pointed out what she was feeling as though it were normal for her to be feeling such things about him.

"I'm a little surprised I'm still breathing right now"

"Why"

Her nerves were killing her, and the lust she was feeling only doubled on itself every time he spoke to her. She felt like she could explode just by talking with him.

"Because I'm a human… and I'm obviously feeling this lust… for you. I thought I would have died by now"

She felt his hand run down her side, over her hip and down to her outer thigh. The things he made her feel with just that small action made her shudder.

"Because you are human"

"Yes"

"Such strange ideas you have"

"But I thought…"

"It would appear that is your problem…"

Kagome gasped when he leaned forward, his lips brushing lightly against her ear. She could smell the rich muskiness that made him so male.

"Stop thinking Kagome"

She whimpered when his tongue came out to pull her ear into his mouth, his teeth scraping lightly across her sensitive skin. Everything she thought that she knew about him was thrown into question with the way he was treating her.

When he moved his head back to look at her, Kagome fisted her hand in his haori and pulled him forward. If he was going to play with her like this, then she was going to kiss him like she wanted.

Sure she didn't have any experience with such things, but she didn't really care.

When she felt his lips against hers, her whimpering became needy and filled with the lust she was feeling. She had been a shrine maiden, a lady of the cloth, and here she was kissing a demon; her body was betraying her in ways that she couldn't say without being thoroughly embarrassed.

"Kagome"

She opened her eyes and let him see the confusion she was feeling. She was very interested in the things that he was doing, but she was also sure that it was wrong for them to continue like this.

"We can't do this"

"You think too much"

Kagome giggled and ran her hand down the planes of his chest, feeling the muscles bunch under her fingers.

"Maybe I do, but I'm still pure. And this…"

She gestured to herself and him at the same time.

"This is wrong. We are so different. You, the Great Demon Lord of the West and me, the Shrine Maiden from the future…we have no business doing, you know…that! What happens in the morning when I leave on my journey and you return to your duties in the west, hmm? "

"Nothing happens. This isn't about love Kagome, or even commitment"

"Then what is it about?"

"You tell me"

Kagome let out a breath and thought about what she felt and what she thought this was, to her at least.

"It's about comfort, and…"

She knew what it was, but she wasn't sure she could say it out loud. And maybe that was the point, maybe she was still too naïve to be doing something so out of her league.

"And?"

Kagome sighed and looked up into his eyes. Damn it all to hell; the things she felt when she was near him were strong and made her feel weak.

"It's pure, unadulterated lust. Physical attraction."

"Exactly"

His response startled her. She had expected him to scoff at her, maybe even shove her into the fire. But no, he agreed with her instead.

"Is that all this is to you? A way to get your jollies off?"

"No"

"Then what? What is this for you?"

"This is as you said. It is lust. It is physical attraction. But mostly, it is comfort"

Kagome scoffed at him in disbelief.

"I can hardly imagine why you would need comforting"

The way he laughed was addicting; it was a rich, deep baritone that sent a new type of shiver down to her toes.

"I do not need such things; I simply wish to give them"

"I thought that men only thought about what they got out of it"

"I am not like the men you know, Kagome"

Kagome looked down at her hand flexing against his stomach muscles. She could feel the heat radiating from his body, the blood rushing through his veins. And everything in her told her not to care what tomorrow brought and just allow someone to comfort her in a way no one ever had before.

She was sure that she didn't want to regret doing this, but she was certain that she would regret not doing it as well. This wasn't something that he would offer at the drop of a hat. His offer, this unique comfort, might even expire come morning.

"This is what you thought about all those times you looked at me"

Feeling bolder than she had in a long time, Kagome pulled herself up to him and kissed him. She let her body guide her and pulled herself on top of him, knowing that if at any time she did anything wrong, he would correct her. She also knew that he would teach her rather than demean her.

It dawned on her then that as much as he had placed his trust in her, she had placed her trust in him. And now she was going to trust him with her most treasured gift.

She felt his hands bury themselves in her clothing, slowly working their way up her ribs. She felt him pull at her shirt, making her detach herself from his lips to pull the shirt over her head.

The breeze was cool and chilled her quickly, but he pulled her down and flipped them so that he could cover her with his warmth.

She allowed him to lead her through the most basic of steps. She felt one of his hands caressing her sides and her stomach while his mouth worked wonders on her lips and her neck. His ministrations forced small moans from her lips as her breathing became heavier.

She felt him graze his fingers across her bra and look at her strangely. This was one of the last modern style bras she owned and she was not about to let him shred it just so he could get a little frisky.

Kagome pushed one hand against his chest and sat up when he moved. She reached behind her and unclipped her bra before pulling it off her shoulders, allowing it to drop to her lap.

Her arms automatically came up to cover her breasts; she was modest, despite the clothing she wore. She was from the 20th century so form fitting was fine, but naked was embarrassing.

She watched as his hand came up and pulled her arms down. It was unnerving, but again she trusted him and she reminded herself that he would be the only one that had seen her as such and would not mock her for it. This was the way Sesshoumaru was; he would never make her feel less than worthy, especially not after this.

Kagome allowed him to pull her arms down and watched in fascination as he removed his outer and inner haori, baring his chest to her in the same way she had done for him. With shaking hands, she reached up and ran her palms across the expanse of his bare skin. It was smooth and soft, but she could feel the strength rippling beneath the surface.

He was gorgeous in so many ways.

She felt his hand reach behind her and hold her steady while he pushed her back down so that she could continue her exploration of his upper body. When she settled against the furs again, Kagome was reminded of the strange feelings running through her veins. She could feel the way her body responded to him as he settled over her and the way her breath hitched when he kissed her.

The sensations were new and overwhelming and she found that she liked every one of them.

She squirmed as his hands roamed further down and teased the edge of her jeans. She had known that those would come off eventually, but her stomach still bottomed out when he reached for them. Again she realized that she would have to help him since he wasn't familiar with the way jeans worked.

Slowly and as sensually as she could manage, Kagome ran her hands down his torso until her fingers met the ties of his hakama. She worked her fingers through the knot until it came loose and then let her hands fall to her jeans to slowly unbutton and unzip them.

Throughout the entire ordeal, Sesshoumaru had stared into her eyes and held her gaze steady; strangely enough that gave her courage she needed to continue.

Kagome reached up over his hips and pushed his hakama as far as she could to indicate that she was ready to keep going. She couldn't help blushing when he stood up and removed what was left of his clothing. It was something she had never experienced before.

She lifted herself up and pulled her jeans down, her lacy underwear coming off at the same time, and lay back again. It took everything she had not to cover herself, but this time it was more from the chill in the air than the embarrassment.

As he sat down between her legs, Kagome could feel herself begin to shake. She wasn't sure what was making her shake; she just knew that she couldn't stop.

Sesshoumaru ran the palms of his hands up her legs very slowly, creating shivers that compounded the shaking she was experiencing. She could feel jolts of pleasure running through her body and centering on her core, creating a hot wetness to drip in anticipation.

She was very aware of the fact that her body was more than ready to accept him and she was a little self-conscious of that fact because he had barely even touched her yet. How could she be so turned on if he hadn't even done anything yet? She didn't understand.

As his hands snaked across her stomach and down further, Kagome's breath hitched. She felt the way he turned his deadly claws into enticing feathery stimulators.

She gasped when she felt his fingers separate her lips and watched mesmerized as he dropped his head to her stomach and kissed his way down. When he reached her center, his tongue slowly dragged up her core and centered on her clit. She squirmed partly from the unfamiliarity of it, but mostly from the pleasure. His fingers were kneading her inner thighs, causing her to both relax and tense at the same time. The contradicting sensations were sending her body into a frenzied fit of pleasure.

Kagome felt the small jolts of pleasure that his tongue sent shocking through her body whenever he rubbed across her clit. She could feel the sensations building and new that if he continued much longer then she would be climaxing very soon.

She reached down and ran her fingers through his hair, calling out his name in a sensual but commanding way. The way he dragged his tongue and centered on her clit for a moment almost made her lose herself in the sensation, pulling a low moan from her lips.

She waited for him to climb his way up her body, enjoying the light kisses he pressed into her skin along the way. Once he was settled above her again, Kagome pulled him down for a kiss but stopped at the questioning look he had given her.

"I'm sorry. You were really good at what you were doing and I don't want to experience my first orgasm that way."

"Interesting"

Kagome smiled and pulled him down again, this time being rewarded with the kiss she had sought.

She felt him position himself at her entrance and couldn't help the tenseness that had taken over. She tried to focus on the hand that was massaging her torso in various pressures, but she just couldn't do it.

"Relax"

Kagome opened her eyes and stared into the golden depths above her. She could easily lose herself in his eyes. When he pressed himself inside her, she flinched and bit her lip, knowing that this was only the beginning. She kept her eyes locked onto his as he slowly worked his way deeper inside. As soon as he reached her virginal wall, her lips were crushed in a searing kiss that stole her breath and her scream.

Her eyes were watering in pain and her hands clawed into his back as she tried to calm her beating heart and relax as he had told her to do. She was grateful when Sesshoumaru distracted her by nibbling on her lower lip, causing her to open her lips and grant him access to her mouth. The kiss was infinitely more intimate than any others they had shared and worked wonders to distract her from the pain.

As soon as her body relaxed, Kagome wiggled a little underneath him and began kissing down his jaw to let him know that everything was okay. She didn't trust her voice just then.

Sesshoumaru pulled out a little and pushed back in, causing her to gasp in both pleasure and pain. As he continued to do this, moving just a little farther with each stroke, Kagome felt more pleasure than pain and began to move with him.

Every time he buried himself deep inside her, Kagome felt a flash of pleasure and saw flashes of stars behind her eyes. The rhythm they found was slow and sensual, but filled with pleasure and pain, hot and cold. The contrasting sensations made the experience feel even more monumental than she had expected.

She could feel the pleasure coiling together again and it made her want to get to that point faster. She had never felt an orgasm before and knew that anything that felt better than this was worth every second she spent working towards that.

Wanting more but not knowing how to get it, Kagome held Sesshoumaru closer to her, pressing her breasts against him every time he entered her and made her back arch in pleasure. Her body was slick with sweat and her breath was coming in short pants. She felt as though she would fly to pieces if she didn't find her end soon.

Kagome pressed her hips into him harder each time he entered her. Wanting him to get even deeper, she dragged her fingers down his back and held onto his backside to push him even deeper. It was a physical conversation they were having he seemed to understand everything she was trying to say. As soon as he pushed harder and just a little faster, Kagome could feel her orgasm building with every stroke.

The flashes of pleasure became longer and more drawn out, lasting for seconds rather than moments. When she thought that she could no longer continue, she pulled her head back to look into Sesshoumaru's eyes and felt her body peak. His eyes bore into her as she climaxed and she felt his body tense just after her. At that moment, he buried himself inside her just a bit harder and with a little more urgency than before. Her orgasm shook her body and her cries of pleasure were ripped from her body.

Throughout the entire climax and for several seconds after they both came back down, Kagome stared into the eyes of the being that took the last piece of her innocence from her. She could hardly breathe and was shaking from their activities and from the cool wind hitting her sweat slicked body.

When Sesshoumaru finally relaxed and pulled out of her, rolling to the side and pulling her with him, the wind decided to pick up. She smiled when she felt his outer haori drape over her nude body.

"Wow"

She was incredibly awed with the experience and somehow she knew that no matter what happened in her future, no one would be able to compare to him. He was her first and although she had only ever had him, even she could tell that he was very good at what he did. It would take someone with a certain amount of talent and experience to be able to hold back the way he did and to treat her with such gentleness.

She was grateful to him for his thoughtfulness. A part of her wanted to do it over and over again, and the rest of her was already beginning to fear the morning light. Once the morning came, they would both go their own way. This would never happen again. She wanted to cry and throw a fit at how unfair the world could be.

Her emotions were roiling so Kagome turned over and tucked her head into Sesshoumaru's shoulder. If she had to leave the safety of his arms tomorrow, then tonight she would take full advantage of it.

* * *

Morning came much too quickly for Kagome. She was rustled out of her sleep by gentle prodding. Kagome curled into the warm body at her side and groaned, refusing to open her eyes.

"Don't make me leave you so soon"

Kagome smiled when his laughter shook through her. She felt more connected to him than she had thought she would. This could prove to be a problem in the future.

With a groan, Kagome rolled over and sat up. She knew that she would need to get moving if she wanted to leave before the village was up. It wouldn't do her any good to have to say goodbye to an entire village.

Kagome took her clothing from Sesshoumaru with a shy 'thank you' and stood up to start putting them on. She was sticky in places that were not supposed to be sticky and it made her grimace. She would need to take a bath before she left.

"I'm going to have to go to Inuyasha's before I leave"

"Why"

Kagome turned and smiled at Sesshoumaru, her eyes soaking in the image of his half nude body.

"I need to bathe before I go and the river is much too cold for that right now. I made him put in an indoor bath when we built the house"

She saw comprehension dawn on him and smiled when he didn't argue. Even he would need a bath, she was sure.

"You should do that as soon as possible then if you wish to leave by sunrise"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Will you come with me?"

She didn't know what made her ask him to escort her, but she was glad she did once he had agreed to her request.

She grabbed her items and fell into step with Sesshoumaru, making the short trek back into the village and over to Inuyasha's house. Once they arrived, Kagome lifted her hand and knocked on the frame of the door.

Inuyasha's silhouette stood out in the darkened doorway illuminated by the light of the moon.

"Hey Kagome, what's going on?"

Kagome fidgeted for a moment, knowing that her request would be scrutinized. There was no helping that though.

"Um, can I use your bath real quick please? I need to bathe before I leave"

She waited with baited breath as he stared hard at her for several minutes and then moved to the side with a deep sigh.

"Yeah, sure."

Kagome made her way into the house and went straight for the back room.

- *** Red Ruby *** -

Inuyasha listened for the very distinct sound of the running water before turning angry eyes onto his brother.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

He watched as his brother narrowed his eyes and refused to answer. Figures!

"You know, when I told her to stay the night with you, I didn't mean for her to SLEEP with you! What the fuck Sesshoumaru?! She is emotionally a wreck right now and you just took her innocence! What are you going to do the next time you see her and she's all torn up over you, huh?"

His only response was the cold and casual boredom his older sibling was so well known for.

"You're a real bastard, you know that?"

Inuyasha sighed and ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"Look, she's probably expecting you to be here when she's done. You want some tea or something?"

"No"

Inuyasha watched as his brother left and he wasn't sure if he was going to come back before Kagome left. He hoped he did because he didn't want to be there when Kagome's world went for the ride Sesshoumaru was putting it on. He'd rather be anywhere but near her when reality sank in.

* * *

Kagome sighed in absolute pleasure. The water wasn't hot by any means, but it was warm and felt good against her sore muscles.

She knew that she needed to leave soon and her hair was still damp so it would be best for her to end her bath. It wasn't like she'd never have another decent bath anyway.

Kagome stood and stepped over the side of the bath, wincing at the pain between her legs. Who knew she could be sore there?! Then again, Sesshoumaru was what she would consider 'well-endowed'. She blushed at her own thoughts and dried off before slipping into a pair of warm stretched pants and a tank top.

The chill in the air would be gone by midday and she would need to have a shirt under her sweater so that she could undress later if needed.

When she was done dressing, Kagome went to the main living area, slowly patting her hair of the excess water it still held. Her hair was long but much tamer now, so she was sure that she would be able to manage it well enough out on the road.

She smiled to Inuyasha as he handed her a cup of tea after she found a seat near the fire, trying to cover her light grunt of pain with a cough.

Kagome had avoided Inuyasha's eyes quite successfully for a fairly decent amount of time, but when he crouched down in front of her, she couldn't find a way to avoid it without being obvious. She gave him one of her best smiles and sipped from her tea, watching as he studied her.

"Kagome, what were you thinking?"

Kagome's brows knit together as she thought about that. It wasn't much of his business, but as her friend she understood that he cared.

"I wasn't."

She wasn't ashamed of what happened, or the fact that she had done so without thinking her actions through.

"Kagome…"

"Don't. I refuse to regret this. I'll be fine"

She watched as he studied her face a while longer and then stood up.

"Alright. Just promise me I won't become a tear pillow when he lets you down, okay?"

Kagome laughed and nodded her head.

"Don't worry so much Inuyasha. He can't disappoint me when I don't expect anything from him"

Kagome felt her hair being pulled from her towel and glanced up to see Inuyasha patting the last remnants of dripping water from the tips. When he reached down for her brush, Kagome closed her eyes and just let herself enjoy the attention.

She felt his hands work their way through her hair alongside her brush, gently pulling the tangles out one at a time. When her hair was tangle free and smooth, she thought he would be done. Instead she felt him pull her hair up into a high tail.

"Tie"

Kagome pulled her tie from around her wrist and held it up to Inuyasha.

When he was done, Kagome pulled the tail around the front to wrap in the towel and soak up the last bits of water that had started dripping down her backside again. When she tried to stand though, she found that her muscles were frozen in pain.

"Ow"

She scowled when Inuyasha laughed and her and held his hand out to help her up. With a sigh, she let him help her stand.

"Thanks"

"Well what did you expect Kagome?"

Kagome had the decency to blush and suddenly found her hair more interesting than it had ever been before.

"I don't know, but I didn't expect to not be able to sit or stand on my own"

This time his laughter made her smile. It was a little funny that she hadn't thought of the soreness before.

"You know, this might help you a little out there. I mean, for the rest of your life you are going to smell like him. It isn't strong, but anyone that gets close enough will be able to tell that he had you first. And anyone with half a brain will know better than to mess with you now"

Kagome shook her head and smiled.

"They should know better whether they smell that or not!"

Kagome smirked at Inuyasha's laughter and sipped more on her tea. This was the best send-off she could have asked for.

* * *

Kagome stood at the edge of the rice patty fields on the north end of town. She had decided to head northeast and see the mountains while they were still wild.

She had waited as long as she could to see if Sesshoumaru would return to see her off, but it seemed he was not interested in long goodbyes. With a deep breath, Kagome turned her back on the village and took a step out onto the road. She didn't get to take another step before she was swept up into strong arms and crushed in a soul-weaving hug.

She pulled herself closer to him and felt almost like she could meld with him. His strength wrapped around her and made her feel wanted and and safe. She closed her eyes and seared the moment into her memory to keep her comfort whenever she felt lonely.

"I thought you didn't want to say goodbye like this"

"You have strange ideas"

Kagome smiled at his choice in words and stepped back.

"Thank you for coming to see me off. It means a lot to me"

His slight nod was the only indication he gave that he had heard her.

"You are heading north"

Kagome nodded and turned to look ahead at the path she had chosen.

"I have something for you"

"Really?! What is it?"

Kagome waited with baited breath as he whistled low. She stared in wonder at the red and gold hawk that landed on his shoulder.

"This is one of my prized messenger birds. She is very loyal and will carry any message to whomever you need. She is yours"

Kagome stared in awe as the beautiful creature floated out and onto Kagome waiting arm. With a reverence she had no way to describe; Kagome reached up and ran the back of her finger down the breast of the bird. She was rewarded with a low humming sound, almost as though the bird had her own sort of purr.

"What's her name?"

"I have not given her one yet"

Kagome looked up into the eyes of the bird, a blue as deep as the sea and as rare as her own crystalline colored eyes.

"Mare-aoi"

The bird squawked and flapped its wings once before settling and nudging her head into Kagome's hand. Kagome giggled and continued to pet her.

"I guess she likes it"

"Hn"

Kagome turned and looked back at the path that she would take. It was time to go.

"Hey Sesshoumaru…"

Kagome took a breath and started to walk away.

"When we see each other next, don't treat me like it didn't happen. I deserve better than that"

With that she walked away, never once looking back but always looking ahead. Mare-aoi flew out ahead of her and gave her the sense of companionship that she was so afraid of being without.


	4. Chapter 4

**TITLE: **Ruby Red

**CHAPTER 4 **

*****Note: This one is a bit shorter than my typical chapter length, but once you read it you'll understand why that is. I have a tendency to close up with cliff hangers. To avoid this, I am working on leaving what I call semi-cliffy chapter closings; this is one of those, so enjoy. **

It took Kagome the better part of three weeks to reach the small town that lay at the southern base of the mountains just north of Edo. As she walked through the towns proper, she fingered the pouch at her hip and silently counted her coins. She had only needed to stop two other times to restock her supplies and was glad to note that she was doing rather well keeping her finances in order.

Kagome stopped walking and turned to see a black flag with gold letters that captured her attention. She stepped closer and read the inscriptions that were at least partially legible. From what she could tell, this was a flag of the Takeda Clan…the Furinkazan no hata, and it was aged. Kagome's mind began racing with the possibilities of seeing this particular flag in this area. From where she stood, Takeda's territory was a little further southwest.

Kagome crossed the street and approached the vendor that was flying the banner. She didn't want to seem uneducated, but she really didn't know much about the goings on in the human world at that time. Although, she realized that her status as a woman could come in handy since women weren't usually educated anyhow. After thinking out her best course of action, Kagome introduced herself to the vendor.

"That's a beautiful banner you have there. Did you make that yourself?"

Said 'owner' turned and scoffed at her.

"Such insolence! This is the banner of the great Takeda Katsuori. He was one of the greatest Commanders in all of Japan! Women should be taught their history at the very least."

With that the vendor turned away from her and moved his cart further down the road with a hard shove. Apparently she had offended him.

Kagome's brows furrowed as she thought over the information she had been given. Commander Takeda was the last heir to the Takeda Clan and was defeated in 1582. If what the vendor had said was true, then it could only mean that the fall of Takeda had already happened. She had always thought that she was within the Muromachi period of the sengoku-jidai, but this would mean that she was well within the Azuchi-Momoyama period. She might even live to see the end of the sengoku-jidai and the beginning of the Edo bakufu.

If she remembered correctly, the battle that would secure Hideyoshi's place in the history books as the one to complete the reunification of Japan was coming soon...or it could have already happened. Kagome's heart beat rapidly when she realized that the final battle was with the Hojo Family…and they would lose!

Kagome turned quickly and sank into a tea house silently. She took a seat in the corner closest to the door and stared out through the merchant's flags at the people in the town, slowly running her hand across the breast of Mare-aoi. It was cold up here and most of the residents were covered in furs. Kagome shivered and pulled her sweater closer together. It was hard knowing things, events that would take place, and not doing anything to stop them.

When the host approached her, Kagome ordered a basic green tea and some bread. The cost of such was minimal and would keep her full.

She let her eyes drift back to the other side of the road where the flag was being displayed and wasn't surprised to see people stop and pay respects to the memento. This was likely a town of converted Christians, which might explain the flag. Suddenly Kagome felt like everyone was staring at her. She was a Shinto Priestess after all; or at least she had been up until a few months ago. She hadn't really renounced the title, or the teachings, but she no longer wore the sacred garments or carried a bow and arrow.

It dawned on her that while she may not practice so religiously, it wouldn't hurt to carry a weapon…and the bow and arrow was really all she knew how to use. With a sigh, Kagome began eating her bread and weighing her minimal options. She would need to find a weapons maker.

* * *

After securing a room for the night at the local inn and sending Mare-aoi off to hunt for her own meal, Kagome set out into the town to find a weapons dealer. She had heard that the white wolves ruled this territory and had hoped that she might be able to find one of them to help her with her dilemma.

She turned down a street at the far end of town and made her way to the outer edges. The mountains rose from the back of town and seemed to go on for miles. With any luck, she would be able to find what she was looking for quickly and get back to the relative warmth of her room.

Her feet led her up a small incline into the lower edges of the forest at the bottom of the first mountain. The path was worn well, but the further she went the more the underbrush covered her way. She knew that it had been some time since any real traffic had passed through this area, which gave her a better chance at finding the Clan she was looking for.

Her heart beat faster when she felt the familiar tingle race through her blood and across her skin. A demon was near.

Kagome stopped and stared into the forest in front of her, seeing but not seeing. She felt further out with her aura to locate the demon and found that it was only a few meters away and closing in fast. She braced herself for whatever it was that was coming at her so quickly; it would really suck if it was unfriendly because she hadn't yet acquired a weapon. It would actually be a bit ironic in her opinion because that was what she had come into the forest to find in the first place.

Muddy wet leaves and cold air bristled around her in a whirlwind of power. Kagome shielded her eyes from the debris and waited until the air settled. When she was finally able to look up again, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Yo!"

Kagome laughed at the irony of it all and smiled at the new arrival.

"Kouga, how have you been?"

Kagome found herself crushed in a hug and felt her body respond by calling up her powers automatically. She was so shocked at the action that she almost didn't push him back fast enough to avoid being hurt.

"Kagome?"

Said girl blushed and gave him her most apologetic look. She didn't know what just happened. All she knew was that it wasn't safe for him to touch her right now.

"Ah, sorry about that Kouga. It was unintentional, I promise!"

Kouga laughed and placed an arm around her shoulders before pulling her along to walk with him.

"That's alright; it's been a while hasn't it"

Kagome nodded and concentrated on her inner turmoil. Her powers kept trying to surface every time he touched her and she wasn't sure why. He was a friend and he wasn't acting threatening in any way. So what was the problem?

Kagome shrugged his arm off of her shoulders and apologized again.

"I don't know what's wrong with me. I can't seem to keep my powers under control right now"

She watched as Kouga eyed her for a minute, likely trying to figure out a reasonable cause for this to be happening.

"You know, that only happens when a priestess is new and doesn't know about her powers. I know you've fixed that, so I'm not sure…"

Kagome watched as comprehension dawned on his face and he leaned in closer to her and took a deep breath. Suddenly she was nervous.

The look in his eyes was nonthreatening, but oh so very angry. She watched as he turned from a jovial friend to an angry acquaintance in less than 2 seconds. Wow, world record there!

She was nervous that she had done something wrong, though for the life of her she couldn't figure out what.

"Kouga?"

"What have you done?"

Kagome felt herself shrink and almost took a step back before she thought better of it. Whatever it was she had done, it couldn't possibly be enough to warrant this type of a reaction from one of her friends.

"What's the matter with you Kouga?"

"Kagome… You've been…"

She could see the concentration on his face; he was clearly trying not to say what he wanted. It dawned on her what he was trying to say though.

"Defiled? Deflowered? Touched? What, Kouga?"

His dumbfounded look caused her to pause in her growing anger. She had figured out that he had smelled the change in her, but his reaction to it was a little over the top. Besides that, he was a mated demon with pups of his own on the way. All in all, he had no right to point fingers like this.

"Gee Kagome; I just didn't think it would ever happen to you"

Kagome laughed and decided that she'd let that one go just this once.

"Wow Kouga, that's awfully sweet of you. Honestly, what did you think? That I was going to go live on a shrine as a virginal maiden for the rest of my life? Not hardly!"

She watched him scratch at the back of his head in embarrassment. He was kind of cute when he wasn't being so gruff. She figured she should throw him a bone this time.

"Look, it isn't any of your business what, when, or why things like that happen in my life."

"Well, yeah it kind of is. I mean, I can't even hug you now! What the hell is that all about?"

Kagome thought about that for a minute and couldn't come up with a logical answer so she decided to shrug it off.

"You know more about that sort of thing than I do so if you don't know then what makes you think that I would? I'm sure it'll pass in time. Anyway, maybe you can help me with something. I came up here to find the White Wolves. I need a new bow and I just don't think that the village below is going to be too open to me purchasing a weapon right now."

"Why not?"

Kagome shrugged and started walking along the path into the mountains again, not once looking to see if Kouga was following. She knew he would.

"From what I can tell, that's a converted town. I'm a Shinto priestess. The two don't mix so well right now. And even if they didn't know that it still wouldn't be good for me. Who in their right mind would sell a weapon to a traveling female, hm?"

"What do you mean they're a converted town?"

Kagome looked over to Kouga and watched as he tried to figure out what she was talking about. She had assumed that he would have known about the westerners and all the changes they had brought. How could he not know?

"They're a town that has converted to a new religion that comes from the foreigners across the seas. It's one of the biggest changes Japan has seen since the rise of the Shogun. Where have you been for the past 50 years?"

"Kagome, they're humans. I don't pay much mind to them because their fleeting, always changing. It doesn't matter anyway; they're too insignificant to watch so closely"

Kagome stared at Kouga in shock. The sting that sent to her emotions was stronger than she would have expected.

"Kouga, I'm human"

"Yeah, but you're special. You don't only see what's right in front of you. You look outside of your world and you see everything."

Kagome sighed and wondered how someone so narrow minded could say something so deep and understanding. She shook her head and decided that it didn't matter in the end. He was going to think whatever he wanted and she couldn't do much to change that.

"Just be open to the possibility that the human race isn't all that hopeless, okay?"

She smiled at his nod and let the subject drop.

"So, about that White Wolf clan…any idea where I might find them?"

* * *

Kagome was pretty certain that she had never felt this cold in her entire life. She had icicles on her fingernails that were growing icicles on top of that. The perpetual chill that ran through her body made her shake yet again. She had tried to regulate her heartbeat and concentrate on not shaking to the point that she was getting a physical workout from it all.

"K-k-kouga…d-do y-you h-have a b-blanket I c-can b-borrow?"

She was so tired of the shaking!

Moments later she felt a thick warmth wrap around her and the heavy weight of a large pelt on her back and shoulders. Quickly pulling the wrap together to cover the front of her body, Kagome sighed in bliss.

"Mmm… so nice."

Kouga's laughter rang through the cavernous valley. The air up there was much thinner and twisted his voice into a skewed echo. Kagome blinked at the sound and turned to see him smiling with Ayame hanging on his arm.

"You're so funny Kagome. I didn't know your teeth would chatter so badly or I would have given you a coat earlier."

Kagome smiled and waved off the comment. She was usually fine with cold temperatures, but sub-zero wasn't what she would call cold. How on earth these wolves managed was beyond her.

She stiffened for a moment when she felt a pressure at the base of her neck. She had gotten used to the sensation of being around a clan of demons, but this was different; this was menacing.

Kagome turned and ducked just in time to avoid having her head lanced off by a sword. Had she been any slower, she would have been relieved of the burden of holding her head up any longer and cold would not have been an issue anymore.

She didn't have time to think about what would have happened though because as soon as she spun, the sword came lashing out at her again, this time nicking her in the shoulder.

Kagome fell to the ground and cried out in pain; she wanted to curl up into a ball and cradle her injury. However, the sword was still coming for her and she had to roll to the side which forced her to give up the warmth of the fur she had been given.

Kagome jumped to her feet and watched as her attacker pulled back to swing at her again. This time she was able to see the attack coming and duck. Without waiting for the sword to finish its motion, Kagome balled her hand into a fist and swung for the attacker's stomach. She added a little power to the punch so that the attacker would be forced to step back and give her a minute to catch her breath.

Thankfully it worked.

Just as she was about to go on the offense again, Kagome heard a loud bark that echoed and amplified in the valley. She crouched low and covered her ears from the piercing sounds. Whoever it was that had commanded attention was definitely getting it from her.

She watched in awe as a large wolf, about the size of a school bus, stepped out of the forest around her. She could see the muscles that rippled under the glistening white fur and was only slightly surprised to see that his face appeared to be aged. Demons usually didn't appear old until they had lived through many millennia.

It made her wonder how old this one was.

Kagome stood and bowed at the waist, showing deference to one much wiser and much stronger than she might ever hope to come close to being. She wasn't in the mood to anger such a being and was a little unnerved at the fact that she had been caught quarreling with someone while she was a guest here.

"My apologies"

Kagome stood up straight and squared her shoulders; her eyes leveled just below the beings eyes. She knew better than to look him in the eye as though she were his equal.

"Child, such things are not to be apologized for"

Kagome waited as the being looked her over, slowly circling her shaking form. She was cold again.

"Retrieve the fur, child"

Kagome didn't wait to be told twice and ran to the fur, pulling it around her body and greedily sucking in the warmth that it offered. When she turned back to the Great White Wolf, she was pleasantly surprised to see him sitting on his haunches with his head cocked to the side. She didn't want to laugh at him so settled for an amused smile instead; he looked so damnably adorable!

"You travel alone and seek a weapon of protection"

Even though it was a statement and not a question, Kagome felt the need to confirm the information with a nod. That was exactly what she was looking for and she could only hope that she hadn't already ruined her chances of obtaining such.

She felt the deep yellow eyes of the Great White Wolf scrutinizing her. She tried to stand straight and appear dignified, all the while she was nervous and shaking. The shaking could have been from the cold, but with the way her stomach dropped when he looked at her, she just wasn't sure that was the only reason.

She stood there for what felt like hours, not moving and barely breathing. She felt like she was waiting for a sentence to some crime she was convicted of; her nerves were killing her!

"You don't know how to fight; that was painfully obvious."

She felt the sudden urge to take a step back when the large beast took a step towards her. Instead, she forced herself to stand still and did her best to keep her breathing under control.

"Understand this… I do not give weapons so lightly. War is all around us, young one, and we must be sure that we do not cut off our own noses, lest we prefer failure over protection"

Kagome's brain stuttered to keep up with the circular talk. It wasn't too hard to figure what he meant, but she really wished that he would be more straightforward. She didn't like puzzles and brain teasers…never had, and never will!

"My wolves have reigned over these lands for millennia, and will continue to do so for many more. I find no worth in the creature that takes lives for sport, or for personal gain. Which are you, human?"

She wished he would stop circling her.

"I am neither"

"Humans lie!"

Her eyes blazed with indignity. How dare he call her a liar? He was as good as calling her a murderer!

"I am not a liar!"

"Oh?"

She watched from the corner of her eyes as the Great White Wolf stopped and stared at her again. She didn't feel so nervous any longer…just angry. He was judging her based on the actions of humans he had crossed in the past. It wasn't fair and it wasn't right. She was not them.

"You think yourself different from the others. Indignation does not excuse the defamation your people have cast on these lands."

"I am not those people"

She shrank back a bit when he stood suddenly, his nose almost touching her breast as he leveled her with his large eyes.

"Think not that you are so different. Martyr you are!"

She nearly stopped breathing when a vision of her time forced her to her knees. She wanted to will away the image and make it stop. She wanted more than anything to not know the fate of so many souls. She realized then that this was his doing. He was the one that was showing her the future. He was a seer and he was judging her on the actions of humans that had not yet come into being.

Her eyes widened in surprise when he continued to speak.

"You know much for one so young; your path has been tampered. Yet you seek to change nothing. You would let this come to pass"

Kagome shook in fear, the images of horror and pain lancing across her mind. She watched as the humans slaughtered one another, turned on each other for money, land, women, and greed. She watched as they turned to purge the lands of the demons they called evil, dancing in their blood and stealing their homes and riches for spoils. She felt the heat of the nuclear explosions and watched as the skin boiled away from a child in terror. Her eyes burned with knowledge.

"Stop…please…stop"

Kagome's body fell forward as the world in front of her became clear again. She felt weak and small in the face of such power.

"Kagome!"

She could hear Koga and Ayame's voices calling out to her, but they sounded distant and foreign. She could feel the heat of her tears pouring down her face and the tightness in her chest restricting her breathing.

"You know so much, child, and yet you seek to change nothing so that your past will come to be."

Her heart crumbled in understanding. She wasn't the one to slay with a sword, or shoot with a gun, or launch a missile; she was the one that held the knowledge that could end it all. She was as much the murderer as those that would do these things; she was the martyr that would give her life for everything to happen the way she thought it ought to happen. And she would do it all just so that she could be born in the future nearly 500 years away.

"Fear is a debilitating concern for those that give it power. But for those that seek the true righteous path, fear is what tells us that we are right. What is right is never easy, and what is wrong is never easily changed. I ask again. Which are you?"

She could not imagine what would happen if she changed the future; the rippling butterfly effect that could cause catastrophic quandaries. But if she did nothing, then everything she knew and so much more would happen. That was a certainty that she could not deny.

Kagome took a deep breath and closed her eyes, her tears damning her for her decision.

"I am neither"

She lifted her head and looked up directly into the eyes of the Great White Wolf. Her honesty would answer for her, as would her pain and her fear. She knew the path that she had chosen to walk and she knew that he could help her to get it done.

"Stand before me"

Kagome did as she was told and pulled herself up to her feet.

"You do not know how to fight, but you will need to do so in order to accomplish this goal. You aren't completely hopeless though. Your instincts are alive and well. Let us see what that will do for you first."

Kagome bowed at the waist, a little less than she had before, and stood back up with her eyes trained on the wall in front of her. She felt the Great White Wolf leave the immediate area before she turned to see her friends staring at her.

Her body shook with the reality of her decision. She would have to save them.

With a deep breath, Kagome nodded to them both and turned to follow the path that the Great White Wolf had laid out for her. This would be the first test of her true character; this would tell her whether or not she was capable of saving them.

As she stepped through the tree line and into the thick of the forest, she allowed herself to shake once more.

Gods she was terrified!


	5. Chapter 5

**TITLE: **Ruby Red

**CHAPTER 5 **

* * *

The forest was quiet and darkness surrounded her on all sides. She had been walking for miles with nothing to follow but a vague sense of what she thought was the right direction. Inuyasha had once told her that instincts could not be directed, only felt. She didn't make decisions based on what she thought and the moment she thought that she ought to do something, she realized that it was the wrong choice.

She could only hope that she had learned the right lesson.

With a deep breath, Kagome paused in her walking and felt the forest around her once again. The earth beneath her feet was damp and thick; there weren't many beasts hiding in these woods. Above her she could hear the wind whistling through the tops of the very tall Pine's and a few birds rustling through the leaves scouring the branches for their next meal. In front of her there was nothing, no movement, no sound…nothing at all. She kept moving forward.

Her feet were heavy as she stepped over a fallen tree, the trunk coming up to her thighs on its side. She had read once that you could count the rungs on a stump to tell how old a tree was when it was chopped down. Her eyes cut to the side to see the trunk jutting up from its once-was stump, jagged and broken. She saw below her where a gash was cutting into the bark. Someone had knocked this down by force and she really wasn't surprised by that.

She only wondered if the being that knocked it down were still within the forest and if it were friendly or not.

Barely a minute later, Kagome felt a rush of wind and saw two arrows whiz past her head. She ducked and ran to the closest tree, pressing her back up against it. Her hand went to her heart as she felt the ridiculous speed with which it was beating.

She closed her eyes and listened to the forest around her. There wasn't much to follow and she had almost given up when she heard a faint scraping noise coming from behind her. It was definitely up in a tree, but it wasn't very high. It sounded like a foot scraping across the bark of a tree.

With a deep breath, Kagome slowly peered around the trunk behind her and watched from the corner of her eyes. It was so dark and gloomy inside this forest, as though the sun just did not want anything to do with this part of the mountain. Thankfully, her eyes were adjusted enough to see what was in front of her for at least a meter or two.

After several seconds, she watched as two leaves floated gently to the ground followed by several tiny shavings of wood. Her eyes skated up the tree and spotted a bundle of leaves perfect for hiding a body.

Kagome kept her eyes trained on the branch and waited. She only needed her assailant to make another mistake, like breathe or twitch. It was certainly going to happen; it was just a matter of time.

After waiting for what seemed like several minutes, her eyes began to burn with the strain of peering out of the corner. Finally, she saw what she had waited so patiently for.

Without a moment of hesitation, Kagome ducked around the opposite side of the trunk and sprinted to the base of the tree she had focused on for so long. It was difficult running with the heavy pelt around her shoulders, but she found that it could be a decent cover if it came down to it, so she hung onto it.

Standing at the base of the tree with her back against the trunk so to make herself a more difficult target to hit, Kagome focused her eyes on the branch above her head, lifted her hands, and sent a small blast of purification.

She listened as the being squeaked in surprise and was satisfied to see the body falling head over heel. It hit with a wet thud only a few feet from where she was standing. She decided not to give the assailant a chance to retaliate and ran over before placing her booted foot on its chest and sending a small spark of power through her body.

The assailant was properly placated and showed it by placing its hands out to the sides, casting the bow out of reach with the action.

"Well done"

Kagome stepped back and bowed when she heard the voice of the Great White Wolf.

"Your instincts serve you well. You are much too loud and clumsy, but such things are variable and easy to correct. It will require time. I hope you have much"

Kagome blinked and realized that this was his way of accepting her as a student; somehow she had passed his test. She hadn't exactly come up here to sign on for training, but with as much change as she had undergone in the last few hours, it was definitely the best course of action.

Kagome held her hand out to what now appeared to be a young wolf around the age of 15 or 16. That meant that he was more than likely around 200 years old.

After helping him up, Kagome sent him a small smile and turned to follow after the Great White Wolf while casting a single comment over her shoulder to the poor boy.

"I don't know how you hid your aura from me. You've got to teach me that"

She missed the way he scoffed at her and the hole his eyes were boring into her back. She had no idea how much she had offended the young wolf or how much he wanted her to pay for that.

* * *

Brown robes, tattered and aged, flapped around short legs as they scurried across the stones of a swamp. There was little time to spare and the small legs could only move so fast.

Jaken placed his hand over his right breast and felt the crinkle of the scroll he carried. It brought a small measure of peace that he actually knew where is Lord was this time so that he could deliver this missive. Though he had no idea what this was about, he knew that it was urgent; the Hawk Demon was quite adamant in her message that this be delivered immediately.

The thick fog that surrounded this area had finally dissipated, signaling the end of the swamp. Jaken stepped off the stones and onto the muddy shores to continue his journey. He sent one longing glance over his shoulder and moved forward with a defiance and strength that he hadn't been sure he could muster.

He truly missed his home these days. He was getting too old for this wild lifestyle.

With a sigh, Jaken hopped up onto a large boulder and stamped the Staff of Two Heads firmly into the rock. The lady of the staff cried out and the long old wood turned in his callused hand. He took note of the lady's position and began walking again, his direction now made clear.

He walked on for a few more miles before coming to a large waterfall, the river below it clear and inviting. Jaken turned to the being behind the falls and fell into a bow, waiting patiently to be acknowledged.

He didn't need to wait long for his presence to be noted, but he stayed bowed as was protocol. Somewhere deep inside, he knew that his Lord took some sort of sick pleasure from leaving him on his grubby knees in the clean grasses, but he didn't truly mind. He was of the dirt and water, earth and mud were his home when it came down to it.

Jaken stood upright and pulled on his robes when he heard his masters greeting.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, an urgent message arrived"

He pulled the missive from his robes and waddled closer to hand over the letter. As soon as it was delivered, he heard the familiar dismissal and turned to leave.

Once he returned to the swamp to make the long journey over the murky waters once more, Jaken paused. He stared through the mosses and down into the depths below him. He could see a small group of pods being rocked gently by the waters light current.

Sometimes he wondered why he didn't return to his loyal followers. So many kappa's willing to follow him, and so capable of creating such a grandly small army... Why again did he leave them?

Jaken blinked his bulbous eyes and turned away. No matter how much his heart called out for home, he had a master that he had sworn his fealty to. He would not let him down. With that thought in mind, Jaken continued his journey back to the rotten two-headed dragon and the loud, annoying human female that his master kept company with.

He would never truly understand that demon.

* * *

Sesshoumaru turned the letter over in his hand, pulling the paper open once more. He had been slightly surprised to find that Inuyasha had written this; he didn't know that the boy knew how to write.

The letter was short and precise, though it didn't give away any details if one didn't know what they were looking for. There was a code his half-brother had used to relay the message that was easy enough to decipher, though complicated enough to be valid.

Ultimately, his brother had shown a sense of responsibility and urgency in the letter. It was just…surprising. That and the handwriting appeared to be unrushed and slightly elegant. Wonders never ceased!

Sesshoumaru found himself sitting on the bank of the river, allowing time for his top to dry. It had been sullied in a less-than-stellar battle with a bear demon just this morning.

He dropped his head back and looked up to the clouds with a scowl. He truly disliked the messy business of dealing with unruly creatures anymore. Such things were far below him by this point in his life, but there were still so many around that needed to be dealt with.

He had put some thought into hiring the demon exterminators that resided just a bit north of Inuyasha's forest. But, as with every other time he had considered such things, he dismissed the notion just as quickly as it came.

The leaders of that village were none other than Sango and Miroku. He couldn't go to them because they were _her _friends.

Sesshoumaru let out a deep breath and moved to stare into the waters ahead of him. Four months had passed since the night he allowed himself to comfort the small human woman. And every time he thought of her he was reminded of those cool blue eyes, the heat of her blood rushing under her skin, the sound of her pleasure being pulled from her body, and the secure knowledge that it was him who had brought her such comforts.

He closed his eyes and clenched his fingers into a light fist. He couldn't seem to forget her no matter how much he tried to not think of her. The sky was the same as her eyes, the green grass the color of that indecent skirt she had worn so many years ago, the exterminators he wanted to hire were her friends, and the scent of his brother on a harmless little letter triggered memories of days long past. Everything was her!

And now he was going to return to the forest in which he had accepted such a precious gift from her. No matter how difficult such a task might seem though, he had decided that this meeting could not be missed. It was to take place in a day and it would seem that Inuyasha had summoned as many Lords as he could get messages to.

At least, he thought, he could take comfort in the fact that _she_ was on her journey to find herself and would not be there to distract him. With that comfort caressing his roiling thoughts, Sesshoumaru moved to prepare himself for a short journey. He would need to get to Inuyasha's forest quickly.

* * *

Wind blew through the fields and cast a cold chill on the meadow outside of Edo. It was nice once all the snow melted away and nature was bare again. He could smell the earth and its inhabitants rather than just the strange metallic odor of ice. He truly hated winter and all of its cold snow; he never could relax when it messed with his senses so badly.

Inuyasha sighed in bliss and looked behind him at the town. It was growing so rapidly. The idea that he had protected this town for so long brought him pride in a way he didn't understand. He wasn't born there, but he claimed his home there. It was a place for him, and so much more.

Unfortunately, it looked as though that was about to change once again.

He watched as the village children tossed around an old leather ball, kicking it back and forth and generally just running around with it. The goal of the game was lost on him, but he still liked to watch anyway. They had an energy about them that was addicting.

He watched as they came closer to him, kicking and laughing the whole while. When the ball came sailing towards him, he gently grabbed it and dropped it to the ground before placing his clawed foot on top.

A small girl around the age of 7 or 8 came running up to him panting for breath and giggling.

"Can I have the ball back please? We didn't mean to disturb you, honest!"

Inuyasha cocked his head to the side and studied her for a minute before nodding.

He kicked the ball into the cluster of children and turned his eyes back to the little girl.

"What's your name?"

She looked startled that he had asked her a question, but she didn't seem to be afraid of him.

"Lia"

"Lia…that's different… "

She looked crestfallen at his statement and he quickly tried to rectify his mistake.

"I like different. It's what makes you just you … nobody else"

She seemed to consider that for a minute before nodding at him with a smile. When she turned to leave, he called out to her again.

"Lia, don't get too caught up in the game. You have to be aware of what's around you at all times. Bad things are out there and you have to be careful"

When she nodded and waved, he just shrugged. Maybe she would listen or maybe she would blow him off. It didn't matter. Either way, he tried to be a little helpful and it was up to her to decide what to do with his advice.

He turned his sights back to the game at hand and was slightly intrigued to note that the little girl kept looking at him. His presence was an everyday thing for the people around here so no one bothered him. It seemed, however, that they were more than just tolerant of him; they accepted him.

He smiled and turned away, walking into the forest they had so quaintly named after him. He had terrorized this place back then and that's when they named the forest. Now they kept it because he protected them. Go figure.

He wandered through the old oaks and brushed his hand across the leaves. He was going to miss this place when he had to leave, so he felt like spending a little more time inside every day.

Kiri had returned several days ago from her parents' old home. They had finally been able to retrieve their belongings and she had decided to stay and help them move it all down to Edo.

He hadn't asked why they didn't bring their belongings before, and he never thought to question her about the constant moving they did. Not, that is, until two days ago.

Kiri had returned from the North with her parents and they had finally decided that they were not going to be leaving again. She had told him that it was because they were needed here. Because this was where the change was going to be starting…the war to end all wars…they had to come and help.

Inuyasha clenched his fists in anger. He and his friends had worked so hard and sacrificed so much for their cause, only to be pushed back down in the end. It wasn't fair!

He took a deep breath and tried to calm his anger. It wouldn't do good to lose his temper now; Tetsusaiga was incredibly strong, but even that sword couldn't contain his blood all the time.

It didn't matter in the end how much he and his friends had sacrificed because one overlord with ambition and vision was going to change the way things were done. The war was indeed coming and his kin would be in danger very soon.

Inuyasha had known it would happen but he thought that they would have more time. He knew that the future held no place for demons, but he had hoped somewhere in the back of his mind where the child in him still cried once in a while that it wasn't true…that somewhere out in the big bad world was a place for them, somewhere that they might have escaped to live their lives in peace.

But who was he kidding? His brother was no special case when it came to pride; it was a trait that ran strong in the demon world. They would never run away, not even if it meant death.

That was all there was to it really. The humans wanted them gone, but the demons wanted to stay. In the end, they would fight to find peace. It was all so twisted and wrong, but he had to do his part to ensure the survival of as many people as possible.

Inuyasha looked to the sky and watched as a small package dropped from above the trees. He walked over and picked it up, opening the small tube and retrieving the soft rice paper inside. The messenger birds were sent out yesterday and already the replies were coming in, each one as surprising as the next.

He slowly lifted the seal of the south and unrolled the paper, reading over the small missive.

_Inuyasha-san, _

_It is with a heavy hand that I return this information to you. Indeed your information has been confirmed. A meeting will need to take place in 3 days' time to discuss such sensitive things._

_Do ensure that all those involved are in attendance. I leave this matter to you. _

__Ikayoma_

Inuyasha rolled the missive and placed it in his sleeve with a sigh. Lord Ikayoma was not as discreet in his wording as the others had been, but he was not a cardinal lord, only a minor territorial lord. His tact was less than glamorous.

After all that had happened in such a short time, Inuyasha was hard pressed to find time to even think for himself. Unfortunately, he seemed to be the one that was heading up this little meeting and would also have to be the one to find some solutions that were hopefully more peaceful than all-out war; he had seen the future after all. Of course, not too many people knew that little fact and really he wasn't the best choice for that sort of information.

He had thought to leave her out of it at first but with so much knowledge in this particular area, and of course her unique talents, it was inevitable that she would be sucked into their cause once more.

He hated feeling like he was forcing this onto her though. He really didn't want to do this, but these demons were in trouble and he could not let them down. It looked like he was going to be leaving on a mission to retrieve some very special cargo tonight.

He only hoped that Kagome had had enough time to herself on her little journey to be happy with the idea of coming back. He didn't know what he would do if she weren't up for this new challenge.

Inuyasha moved back to the village and grabbed a few items before saying goodbye to Kiri. He was still waiting for another response from one of the Cardinal Lords, but considering how much time he had before the meeting and also who it was that had failed to respond as of yet, he knew that leaving now was the only choice.

Inuyasha knew that Sesshoumaru would show up whether he answered or not…he couldn't afford not to.

* * *

Kagome jumped over a low lying branch before quickly skirting around a sapling and plastering her backside against the trunk of a large, moss covered tree. She peered around the trunk and watched the small break in the woods for any movement, the sun beating mercilessly on the new seeds of grass that were trying to sprout.

She felt the world around her and concentrated on the newest trick her task master was trying to press into her. The pressures in the earth were constantly being shifted and displaced by those things around them. As her magic came from the earth itself, she had a closer connection with nature than most humans and could feel those disturbances.

As it was she could only place one of her three combatants around her. The other two were either too light-footed for her to notice just yet, or they were no longer on the ground. The latter was a much more likely option, in which case her trip across the field in front of her was going to be dangerously exposed. They were probably waiting for this to happen, but she would not give them the satisfaction of victory so soon.

With a deep breath, Kagome gathered her energies and took a steadying breath before moving away from the tree at a sprint. She broke the tree line after a mere second and lifted her hands above her head, creating two invisible arcs with her fists and then pulling her hands down into a prayer position.

It was difficult to run without the use of her arms as she was accustomed to doing so for so long, but the cautious move proved fruitful when she felt an arrow bounce off of her quickly laid shield. Thankfully the wolves didn't use their essence to fuel their weapons during training; if they did then she wasn't so certain that her barrier would have held up against the attack. It was something she needed to work on.

Kagome ducked under a branch and swerved behind a tree, not stopping to see if anyone was following her. She knew that one of her combatants was in this part of the forest, but she wasn't sure where exactly he was hiding. Wherever he was, he wasn't moving and he had his aura wrapped tightly around his soul. Finding him was proving difficult.

She stopped next to a large bush and dug her hands under the greenery, pulling out roots and berries as she pulled back out. These roots were strong and made for great ties, which was why she had been sent to find them. Kagome tucked the roots and berries into her leather satchel at her hip and tied it closed.

One of the stranger aspects of her training was the duality of all of her exercises. There was never just one goal. In this case, she had to retrieve this bundle of roots while avoiding being caught by her opponents and be the first to exit the forest on the far southern border.

Kagome nearly screeched when another arrow embedded itself in the ground just in front of her kneeling body. Her head jerked back with controlled force pulling her hair from her tie and waving around her face with the action.

She had to get off the ground and start making some counter actions before these boys found whatever items they were sent in here for and made it out before her. One of her complaints was that they had the stronger senses and more sharpened abilities, like the speed to pass her by without thought as soon as they had whatever they had come for.

The Great White Wolf always told her that she needed to think about her abilities rather than her inabilities when faced with such situations. With a nod, Kagome flipped backwards into a crouch and launched her body behind the tree to her left. It didn't put a lot of distance between her and her attacker, but it did provide a better amount of coverage and allowed her the few precious seconds she would need to reach him on level ground.

Kagome turned to the tree and grabbed the bark, pulling her body up off of the ground with as much grace and silence as she could muster. It was difficult and still so new to her to use trees as such, but she found that she was quite good at it once she had gotten over her fear of falling from them.

Once she reached the first stable branch, Kagome swung her body up and straddled the rough bark. She could see several more branches that led to the higher and thicker boughs she needed to reach so that she could move from tree to tree.

She stood up on the branch and began to jump through the branches with what others might say was ease. Truth be told, this was one of the harder things she had learned to do and she was quite pleased with herself every time she managed to get where she was trying to go.

Kagome finally reached the bough she had in mind on the tree that she had found her opponent hiding in and pulled herself against the trunk of the tree as a focus. She sent out her senses and could feel the steady beating of her opponent's heart just two branches below her.

She moved herself to the edge and dropped her head down to hang from the bough. As soon as she had her body in position, Kagome pushed her feet into the bark of the tree and released her clothing from the snatches of the unforgiving wood before flipping down and landing lightly on the branch below her.

She stood in a crouch for several long minutes, tracking her opponent below her with her senses. He seemed to be unaware of her current location, though not for lack of trying to find her she was sure.

With a smirk, Kagome maneuvered her body to lay against the bough, her legs bent against the trunk for a focus point; it was still so very easy for her to get dizzy up here in the trees. She held a small branch in her hand and moved it out to the side of the bough. It would appear to be just another part of the tree, when in fact it held a neat little trap that would keep the wolf stuck in the tree for some time and allow her the time she needed to make it back down the hill long before him.

Just as she was about to release her webbing trap, Kagome's mind betrayed her. She felt warm hands press against her thighs and soak into her being. She could feel the pressure of his body weighing her down into the soft furs beneath her, and his hot breath as it caressed the skin where her neck met her shoulder.

"Mine!"

Kagome's eyes shot open and caught the image of the young wolf turning to the side to jump away. When he turned his head to look at her, he laughed.

"You shouldn't be daydreaming up here. I win"

As soon as the wolf jumped down to the forest, Kagome pulled her arm back to her stomach to get up, or rather would have if it would have obeyed her command. Her eyes shot over to the side to find her sleeve nailed down by an arrow. She watched in irritation from the corner of her eyes as the wolf sprinted out of the forest with a wave. This was happening far too often as of late!

When her journey first started, Kagome had found it fairly easy to dismiss lingering thoughts of the Demon Lord. But then as time went on and her training became more rigorous, she found that she was being distracted by his memory more and more. It was starting to interfere with her ability to focus. She really had to find a way to stop this…but first she had to get down from this mountain.

Kagome looked over to her other arm to find it in the same predicament as her right. She didn't want to rip her clothing, but it seemed that she would have little choice. With a sigh, Kagome lifted her body off of the bough and twisted, pulling her weight to the right. It took her several tries but she eventually had worked up enough force to rip her sleeve and take her body tumbling over the side, effectively pulling her other sleeve apart and releasing it from the other arrow.

She grabbed the bough below her and held firm until her body stopped swinging. Her muscles were beginning to ache and she wasn't sure that she wasn't going to be the last person out of this forest now.

With a groan, Kagome turned and dropped to the forest floor below with a grunt. She would have to sprint the entire way.

* * *

After several minutes of running, Kagome could see the tree lines breaking up. It was warmer at the base of the mountain where the sun was warm and welcoming.

She broke the tree line silently and held out her arm to block the sun. Her senses were slightly disoriented after the sprint downhill and she felt positively dirty. She needed a bath and soon.

Once her eyes adjusted, Kagome dropped her arm and walked over to her post near the task masters tent before reaching skyward with a whistle. She waited for barely a few moments and felt the familiar weight of Mare-Aoi on her shoulder.

With her belongings in hand, Kagome moved to the front of the tent and pulled open the flap. As she did, her eyes met with amber and she squeaked before dropping backwards on her rear and squinting as Mare's wings flapped in agitation over her face and neck.

Once Mare cleared her personal space, Kagome looked up at the tent and took a deep breath. The hell was he doing there?!

She watched in curious fascination as the tent flap opened and revealed the distinct red of Inuyasha and his overly-amused face.

"Sit dog!"

She scowled when he laughed harder and stood up.

"You know, that would have worked not so many months ago. I should have never taken those beads off."

"Ah, Kagome…come on, don't be like that. Aren't you glad to see me?"

Kagome scoffed and brushed the dirt from her clothing before stomping away to her own tent. She didn't care who had won this time; even if it meant that she was on wash duty for the next whole week…she would take her chances just to get away from him.

"Hey, you missed a spot!"

Kagome glared over her shoulder and twisted to try and see her back side, no matter how futile that might have been.

As soon as he started laughing again, Kagome stomped her foot and marched away from his line of sight. She didn't know why he was up here, though she was sure that it wasn't just to poke fun at her. She would have to find out…but only after she had a bath.

As soon as she was sure no one could see her, Kagome reached back and brushed the dirt and twigs from her behind. How humiliating!

* * *

Alright, it's a bit longer but not by much. I'll be getting back into my usual chapter lengths soon enough. This is only the beginning of the next arc so you'll all have to sit tight.

Thanks for the reviews. See you next chapter.


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